


The Red Blade

by smwrites



Category: Kill la Kill (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2020-05-18 08:18:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19330696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smwrites/pseuds/smwrites
Summary: Kiryuuin Satsuki had killed Matoi Ryuuko. That was what everyone thought. But the truth is often incomprehensible.





	1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE:**

 

Red clashes against black. Satsuki knows she is going to lose if the fight went on for long. She is a human after all and her endurance did not quite match up to that of a life fiber-human hybrid. Ryuuko grins as she brings down her scissor blade once more, only for Satsuki to evade it. She comes up with a plan but she is not sure whether Senketsu would like it enough to follow it through. She grits her teeth at the mere thought— she is not the one to think about the cost of victory, she never has been. Opinions and feelings can come later, she surmises.

From the corner of her eye, Satsuki notices that her elites were keeping Nui busy. Her decision made, she successfully lands a roundhouse kick to Ryuuko’s face to put some distance between them.

“I have a plan,” she murmurs to her kamui. “Just do as I say.”

Of course, she assumes his assent, since she can’t hear any objections that he might voice. Even if he had, she knows that she would have ignored them.

“Senjin shippu!”

She charges towards a recovered Ryuuko with the maximum speed that Senketsu could muster over the short distance. Ryuuko blocks Satsuki’s attack from landing but finds herself being pushed back.

“Your attacks seem to be getting lamer! What’s the matter? Having trouble keeping up?” she sneers.

Good, Satsuki thinks, she hasn’t noticed yet.

With each blow being traded for another, Ryuuko comes closer to the edge of the deck. The fight has her occupied and she does not notice her precarious position. And then, a sudden dash from her opponent makes her loose her footing and throws her off the ship.

Undeterred, one of the shoulder spikes of Junketsu shoots out immediately to break her fall as it pierces the wall of the ship to gain some traction. “That ain’t enough to stop me!” Ryuuko growls.

“But this will be!” Satsuki roars as she swoops down at meteor speed to cut off the connection. Thick fibres snap as the edges of Bakuzan Kouryu and Bakuzan Gako find further purchase in the strands of the white kamui, slicing away vital life fibres with ease.

She pulls herself up once she senses enough damage had been dealt to deem her plan a success and lands back on the deck.

Ryuuko plummets almost motionlessly, blood spilling from the wound inflicted on her and hits the surface of the ocean with a resounding splash.

A few glowing fibres float over in mid-air to Senketsu as the kamui absorbed it. Is Junketsu destroyed? Satsuki wonders. Her train of thoughts is derailed when Nui makes a hasty retreat, thanks to Hououmaru. A fight with COVERS ensues following her escape and Satsuki hopes that Ryuuko has made it too.

She can feel the fibers leaving her body as she sinks lifelessly. The darkness is inviting and Ryuuko closes her eyes.

 


	2. The Will

Rei calls her up a few days after her graduation and the closure of Honnouji Academy. She says that they have found Ragyou’s will and therefore want Satsuki to be present in its hearing, as she is the rightful inheritor of REVOCS.

She does not mention anything about Ryuuko though.

The thought of her sister distracts Satsuki and she hangs up saying that she’ll be reaching the manor shortly. She stays at her own place now―the manor never felt like home anyway. Finances have never been an issue to her, since she had an overwhelming market share in other companies and her investment generated enough revenue for her. But she has plans of her own, of course she does―she’s Kiryuuin Satsuki after all, but everything has its due time.

She prepares tea for herself before leaving. Soroi is on a well-deserved vacation at the moment although they do stay in touch. The solitude of her house is a warm welcome from her hectic lifestyle. Turns out even paperwork can be exhausting.

Satsuki drives to the manor in her car. The distance is not small but her journey is short. She is curious, but she hides it well when she sits down for the hearing.

Apparently, Ragyou left the entire REVOCS to Paul Rossi, the chief executive manager of the second largest branch of REVOCS, which was located in France but only as a stand-in guardian until a certain someone called Imaishi Kiyoko turned nineteen.

Satsuki is not surprised that she did not inherit any of REVOCS, she did not expect to either. Ragyou was a Kiryuuin first and foremost and planning for contingencies was something that Satsuki has learnt from her. If the betrayal of Ragyou’s first born had been enough to take her down, perhaps she would have succeeded REVOCS. But it was not and here she is. Satsuki has to admit though; she was not expecting a minor in another nation to inherit the company―maybe Hououmaru―but no. It seems her mother did not deem her suitable enough for such a high responsibility. She wonders what could have led her mother to make such a decision, since she considered other humans to be beneath her. Something that Satsuki herself was guilty of thinking in the past.

But then, Ryuuko came barging into her life along with Mako and Senketsu and since then, she has grown out of that “bitchy” attitude as her sister had so eloquently described her personality as. Mako was always kind and jolly, still is after Ragyou’s defeat but Satsuki feels like they are not quite on the same page when it comes to Ryuuko. They do not talk about her and whatever Mako may feel she keeps it to herself rather than confronting Satsuki about it.

But Satsuki often wishes that she did. She is sure that if she had been able to hear Senketsu, he would not have held back on his words. She imagines those words to be bitter and angry, to be full of accusations and promises to never forgive. She would not have blamed him―she is yet to forgive herself.

But Senketsu isn’t here and neither is Ryuuko. No one has heard anything about Ryuuko ever since their fateful fight on _The Naked Sol_. Satsuki had searched for the body for two whole days after their clash and once again, a week after that. But nothing had turned up. She had assumed that maybe her sister had survived and gone back to their mother but apparently, that was not the case.

Ryuuko had been missing during the final fight when she and her group had teamed up against Ragyou and Nui. Satsuki had been desperate for any scrap of information about her. She had got what she wanted, when in the heat of the moment a bitter Nui had tried to rip her apart from limb to limb, stating how Satsuki had destroyed one of her finest work by killing Ryuuko and destroying Junketsu and that the duo had died a useless death.

It was not the first time she had seen Harime Nui express such a bitter emotion but the fact that she grieved for Ryuuko, albeit in a twisted way, had been enough to cement the fact that the hybrid was indeed, dead.

Kiryuuin Satsuki had killed Matoi Ryuuko.

Prior to that, she had never let the opinions of others to affect herself but the accusation of sororicide got under her skin like nothing else. The amount of hurt she had felt was not even tremendous but like a thorn, it stung her nonetheless. She had tried to shake it off like it did not matter to her but it had mattered to Senketsu. She had felt the agitation and anguish roiling of his threads in waves. It was the first time she had ever heard him and he had only uttered a resigned “Sorry” in response.

Satsuki had been afraid that after the reveal of the drastic developments, Senketsu would stop collaborating with her and that her situation would be like Junketsu all over, a constant battle of wills and an overly taxing affair. Surprisingly, the hybrid kamui was pliant throughout the battle, infact, it was the best form he had ever been in, second only to his Kisaragi form.

The fight with Ragyou in space had been brief, the woman prioritizing her pride, taking upon the act of suicide rather than accept defeat. She remembers breathing in huffs as the lack of oxygen had pushed her to the brink of unconsciousness. She remembers falling through the stratosphere, Senketsu taking on a new form to cocoon her safely to protect her from the re-entry. Miraculously, she had survived the crash, her elites taking the brunt of the impact of her fall. However, Senketsu had been in a very bad shape with almost all of his fibres being burnt away. The new form had taken a heavy toll on his ability to sustain damages.

She recalls trying to help him to recover by feeding him her blood by slicing her hand but the kamui had refused, stopping her as he had said, “Let me rest.”

Those were the last words he ever spoke.

 


	3. A Year And A Half

“Lady Satsuki, you are coming over at the lab today as usual right?” Iori asks over the phone.

“Yes, I am. What is the matter?” Satsuki replies.

“It is better to talk this out in person. I’ll be waiting at the lab. Good day, Lady Satsuki.”

“You too, Iori.”

The tone of the conversation was casual but the call gives Satsuki something else to focus on. Iori is considerate enough not to take up any extra time of her schedule, timing the meeting perfectly on a Sunday morning and Satsuki decides to visit the lab early. Her weekends aren’t always free but she always makes time to pay a visit to the life fiber research lab in Tokyo.

Iori had set one up in Tokyo and Osaka during their Honnouji days as a backup should their plans ever take a hit. They were set up with Satsuki’s own funds and as such were considered out of the jurisdiction of REVOC’s property. He mostly works at the lab at Tokyo, still continuing his research on life fibers.

Satsuki has handed over the remains of Senketsu to him. She knows Iori will take good care of it. Life fibers cannot be damaged easily and it always helps to have a real-life specimen for research purposes. Moreover, it is safe at the lab. She knows that those fibres are now dormant, having entered the said status willingly, never to return to active form again but she cannot risk it falling into the wrong hands.

She apologizes every time she visits Senketsu, or whatever remained of him. It is a private moment she shares with the kamui. During her visits, Satsuki imagines a conversation with him and plays it out in her mind. However, those made up conversations always end up in arguments and she breaks out of the cycle whenever she thinks of Ryuuko too much. It’s a tiresome endeavour for her─ to stop thinking of Ryuuko, that is.

She reaches over to the lab in no time. The doors are always open for her even as the security escorts her inside. Sometimes the procedures get on her nerves but these formalities are necessary and she is accustomed to them.

“Good morning, Lady Satsuki. You are early today” Iori notices. “Please come over to my office. I have a few things to discuss with you.”

She has been to his office only a handful of times. Not much has changed except for the addition of more files and records in the bookcase. The computer set up is new, though. She makes herself comfortable in one of the chairs for the visitors as Iori brings over tea for the both of them.

“I received an e-mail yesterday. It was sent from a person stating their profession as a life fiber researcher in the European branch of REVOCS, the French one to be exact.”

Satsuki’s eyebrows instantly come together in a frown.

“They want us to allow them a visit to this lab for research purposes for a duration of two months. They’ll be focusing mostly─”

“No.” Satsuki cuts him off abruptly with a single word.

“My lady─” he tries to resume.

“We know better, Iori. They are REVOCS and the risk is too great. You could have very well made this decision on your own,” she raises the cup to sip her tea.

“I know but at least hear me out.”

“Very well. Continue” she places the cup back down.

“The nature of the e-mail was personal and the person states that their research is just that─ a personal research. The information would not be used for any manufacturing or official purpose. It is not spam or an impersonated message either. Their research is really extensive, on par with our level, may be even better considering the vast amount of detail in their papers” he finishes.

“And you think that they too possess life fibres” Satsuki concludes.

“In its pure, isolated form at least, because everyone else had REVOCS clothing at some point of time which were imbued with life fibres. Therein lies my concern─ if they already have a specimen then what need do they have for our collaboration?” his voice is tinged with agitation. “And their research too, it bothers me with the fact that it is eerily similar to Dr. Matoi’s. They can very well create their own kamui with the way they are headed.”

“But there are no more life fibers to aid in the creation of a new kamui. With the Primordial Life Fiber gone, creation of new life fibres is not possible. Hououmaru had access to all the information regarding the creation, storage and usage of the life fibers.”

“Oh, so that’s what helped her pull her stunt in the graduation ceremony!” Iori exclaims but then immediately rectifies himself. “Pardon me, for the interruption.”

“As I was saying, you need not worry about some pure life fibers stashed away either. Rei cross checked the records multiple times to ensure that not a single thread of them remained viable.” She crosses her legs as she finishes.

Her tone leaves no room for doubts and arguments. Still, her refusal is final and he knows better than to refute it. Iori frowns but accepts her decision. He cannot help it. His mind thirsts for knowledge and they could have gained a lot of new information from their joint project.

But Satsuki is right. She always is.

~~(Or is she?)~~

Her methods have always fetched the results they had strived for and he has never seen her doubting her decision. Who is he to complain?

“As you say, Lady Satsuki. A refusal will be sent to her,” he says as he fishes out a phone from the right pocket of his pants.

“Who is this person anyway?” she asks now that the matter is settled.

“Someone called Imaishi Kiyoko. She is a genius to have progressed so much in the field of life fibers on her own mettle. I don’t know what her role in REVOCS is though, since she proclaimed that her research was not for the company. She does not have anything on her on any websites, either social media or the official ones” Iori pauses when he notices Satsuki staring intently at her teacup.

“Is something wrong, my lady?” Iori asks cautiously.

She looks up to meet his gaze. The matter of her will was known only to her, Rei, Soroi and the lawyer who had attended to it. The Elites have no idea what the will had actually stated, only that Satsuki did not inherit REVOCS. And even then, the outside world knows only of Paul Rossi, the acting CEO of the company and nothing about the actual owner of REVOCS.

“I know of that person,” she utters as she finishes her tea. “She’s the owner of REVOCS.”

His eyes widened. “You mean, the owner herself wishes to carry out this research?! That I got a direct mail from the highest authority? But then, coming here all alone, there will always be a risk involved given her status. How can REVOCS security be so lax?” he blurts out. The reveal has him puzzled─ he needs answers so he waits for Satsuki to give them to him. But instead of answering, Satsuki only asks him, “Alone? Hmm, looks like she means it when she claims it to be her personal research. As for security, I am pretty sure that the main branch of REVOCS at Japan has that covered.”

But even then, she cannot potentially ignore what Iori has voiced. What can be so important that the owner has to see to it herself, that too, regarding such an obscure field? What if they really manage to create a kamui? No one wants a repeat of the battle they had fought─ the sacrifices they made and the lives they lost─ a naked reminder that stings like an open wound. Why does it always have to be them? Why her?

Satsuki feels like a five year old again. Her world turned upside down and her views shattered. The weight of expectations unknowingly thrust upon her shoulders, too heavy for a child to carry but she carries it anyway. It feels the same now, even though she is twenty and no longer a child. She breaks out of her reverie. If Iori notices her lapse, he does not say anything. Instead, he waits for his orders expectantly.

“However, your concerns cannot be ignored, Iori. I grant her the approval for her visit. Have her sign an NDA and keep tabs on the data you collect and share. Any suspicious activity is to be reported immediately. Inform Houka and tighten up the security accordingly. Reach out if any problem arises,” she pauses and thinks for a second. “And arrange for a meeting for the two of us as soon as she gets here.” She uncrosses her leg and stands up. “That will be all.”

“At once, Lady Satsuki!”

She drives back to her home soon enough. Settling on the couch, she closes her eyes. For the first time in a year and a half, Satsuki feels like she’s on edge. That all she did to stop her mother was for nothing. That Senketsu’s sacrifice was in vain. That she has not done enough to atone for the crime of killing her sister.

Satsuki opens her eyes. She reaches for her phone and dials Mikisugi’s number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NDA: Non- disclosure agreement
> 
> Introduction of plot.


	4. Who am I?

“Hey how long do you think we have to wait? Is this person really that high profile?” one of the security guards asks him.

Mikisugi only shrugs. The lesser he engages in a conversation, the better. This is just a quick job─ he only needs to get a visual confirmation that the said person actually turns up and that she turns up alone. So, he is undercover, once again─ ah, he feels rather nostalgic─ and finds himself as a guard in a security squad of three men and two women. Apparently, this squad is assembled for the protection of their guest and is supposed to escort her to their nearest REVOCS guesthouse which happens to be in Tokyo.

He has a tracker on him of course. Tsumugu is monitoring him and will tail him from midway onwards. Satsuki has briefed him about the matter, but he is still unsure about it. What is there to be paranoid about from so early on? The girl has not even obtained the ownership of REVOCS yet. At least they can start scoping her out when she turns up for her visit. But Satsuki is ever so wary and her instructions are short and clear. Get a visual confirmation, get a proof of that confirmation and find intel about her living arrangements. The lady sure knows how to remain two steps ahead always, he muses.

“Cease your chatter, you all. Our guest is here,” the official who has accompanied them instructs. Mikisugi sighs. Another one of those top dog’s ass kissers, he thinks. Speaking of top dogs, he finally notices his target.

Carrying a backpack and pulling a black trolley behind her, she walks up to their group. He stands in attention, hands at his side, feet together and back straight, as the official greets her.

“Yeah, I’m Imaishi Kiyoko,” she says as she shakes his hand.

Mikisugi does not believe her.

*

“Report, Mikisugi.”

Honestly, Satsuki still retains that Kiryuuin charisma. It commands attention, obedience and respect. It is easy to be drawn in to that charisma─ even as an adult in his late twenties, he finds himself following her orders like a loyal follower, like any of her Elites did back in the Honnouji days. The only person seemingly unaffected by this charm had been Ryuuko. Guilt bubbles in his chest whenever he thinks of that young girl. He can only imagine how bad it must be for Satsuki.

“You were right to have your suspicions. That person may or may not be Imaishi Kiyoko” he says.

“You have not seen her previously. How can you say that it may not be our intended person?”

He runs his hand through his hair, a habit he has not gotten rid of. He leans forward slightly, tilting the chair he was sitting in.

“You may find it hard to believe but that girl is Ryuuko.”

Something in her expression changes, but it is gone in a fleeting second, and she reigns back her face to her impassive mask. He leans back to a more normal posture, stabilizing the chair once again.

“I’m hoping that you have evidence for making such a claim.”

He slides a file on to her desk. “See for yourself.”

Satsuki opens the file to see dozens of photos that has been taken in the airport where they had met, even the car she had been escorted in. The images do indeed back up what Mikisugi claimed. He has done his job well, too well. Clear and crisp, they leave little room for doubt.

“Thank you for the report, Mr. Mikisugi,” she snaps the file shut. “You may leave now.”

He nods as he gets up from his chair. He spares her a single glance before closing the door of her office.

*

Kiyoko flops down on the bed. The room she’s supposed to live in is sparsely furnished and she feels like there is too much space for a single person. Her accompanying official is finally gone. Honestly, he would not stop bothering her till she used her “pissed off” expression to silence him into agreeing to put off the security team. Having a squad of your own sounds cool but she is not sure she’ll be able to put up with even more restriction here than back at France. She is at a new place and she wants to use this opportunity as a means to search for her answers to her questions ~~(Who am I?)~~ and also to learn and know. She wants to start working on her project, her mission with a new, fresh perspective with supportive people by her side.

Her phone beeps. It’s a notification for an email. It is a reminder, for her meeting tomorrow, with Kiryuuin Satsuki, owner of The Kiryuuin Conglomerate or whatever remained of it. She wonders how it is being sustained─ the disengagement of REVOCS must have dealt a huge financial blow to the company, since all the profit was being generated by their huge clothing line. Well, formerly huge. Apparently, there had been a worldwide life fiber scandal which was branded as “unfortunate” and “a one-time phenomenon” due to some sort of space radiation and this fact was perpetuated by the media.

Nevertheless, the damage had been done and REVOCS lost its status of having 100% market share overnight. But being such a major clothing line, this was not a setback they could not recover from. Mr. Rossi took over the reins of REVOCS, as Kiryuuin Ragyou was declared dead having suffered a massive heart attack. The funeral was a very private affair. Few people attended it─ her daughter─ Kiryuuin Satsuki, their family butler and a handful of her friends.

(The Four Elites, something whispers at the back of her mind.)

But fate seemed to have other plans for Kiryuuin Satsuki. Recently orphaned, it was revealed that she had not inherited REVOCS. She had not said anything regarding the matter, opting to take over the rest of The Kiryuuin Conglomerate which was not much─ hardly 10% of the net worth of the total company. With such a meagre standing, they should have shut down within a few weeks, but they had not.

Kiyoko’s best guess is that they branched out at some point of time which was probably not an official move. Still, she is pretty thankful that the company has managed to survive. It means that she still has one active lead. And now that she’s so close to it, the anticipation of it all has her riled up. She types out a confirmation reply to the email and closes her eyes.

Tomorrow is going to be a new start.


	5. The Best For Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Dialogue-heavy chapter.
> 
> Also "Kiyoko" in Japanese means pure child. And I chose Imaishi as the surname because it is common with Kill la Kill's director's name.

“Good morning!” she waves her hand so as to signal that she has seen him. But Iori does not wave back─ he only stares.

“Man, your security is really tight here, too fussy. You better make up for the extra hassle. Even today morni─ oh! I’m sorry, I forget that people here do not know me yet,” she pauses as she extends her hand. “I’m Imaishi Kiyoko.”

He stares down at the proffered appendage. Slowly he raises his hand and puts it in hers, as if in a daze. She grips it firmly for a second before she quips, “And you are Iori, right?”

He finally breaks out of his stupor. “Yes, I am Iori Shirou” he replies. Kiyoko only raises an eyebrow. Three seconds later, he realizes he is still holding her hand and lets it go immediately. “Sorry,” he apologizes, almost embarrassed to have made such a rookie mistake in a simple exchange of greetings. She gives a reassuring smile to calm him down.

“Relax, what has got you so flustered?”

“You, you are─”

“─Just a kid, I know. Everybody keeps saying that. It bugged me at first but now I enjoy their surprise when they find out about me” she adds to his incomplete sentence.

Iori blinks at her statement. This is so wrong. Her face is albeit Ryuuko’s but her personality is a far cry from her. It feels strange─ even her words are more of a playful nature rather than her harsh delinquent dialect. He has questions, lots of them, but now was not the right time.

He clears his throat.

“So yes, follow me. Lady Satsuki is awaiting your presence. You have an appointed meeting with her today in five minutes” he instructs.

*

“I’m coming in” Kiyoko says as she knocks twice on the office door. There’s no reply and opening the door, she takes a step in.

Satsuki’s office is neatly furnished. There’s a large window in her room which affords her a clear view of the city since her office is located at the top floor, but the blinds are drawn and the view is obstructed. Kiyoko notices they are blue in colour. Other than that, there is a shelf with the occasional files and a few chairs for the visitors. Her desk is expensive though, brown mahogany polished to a matte finish. A desktop, a pen stand and a marble paperweight decorate it. Additionally, two filled teacups are resting on their plates on the table, wispy steam rising above them steadily. Satsuki is there too, sitting at her table, one leg crossed over another and hands clasped together on her lap.

Kiyoko takes a seat. “I’m Imaishi Kiyoko. But I guess you already know that.”

“Kiryuuin Satsuki,” she answers in response.

“So, what’s the matter? You wanted to see me, right?”

Satsuki sips her tea quietly. There are too many things that she wants to say to her. She settles for a “Yes.”

“I need you to know who or what are you working for. You could have very well carried your research from France. Why take such a long trip to Japan?”

“Chasing right to the point? Nice. I don’t work for anybody. There is a life fiber lab at France but it has been shut down since life-fiber production itself was halted. It was a new field and I was hoping to take over it, too, along with REVOCS but that plan went nowhere due to the circumstances. Even then, my interest did not die and I learnt that there was one active lab in Tokyo. So here I am,” Kiyoko replies without missing a beat.

“If the lab had been shut down, how come you conducted your research?”

“Sometimes, I would visit the lab and restart it, if only a particular facility, working on my own. But running an entire lab, even if it is just one sector, is tedious especially when you are the only one. Nobody talks about the life fibers, really, even though it was such an integral part of REVOCS. Since, I knew next to nothing about it, my curiosity was piqued and eventually I took to research.”

Satsuki narrows her eyes. “And what specimen were you observing?”

“I had dormant fibres available, I got them from REVOCS itself,” Kiyoko frowns. Something about the way Satsuki frames the question pricks her and she does not like it one bit. “And who does not? Everyone wore REVOCS clothing at some point of time. If you have the means you can simply extract fibres from your clothes and get your own sample. Rather nosy, aren’t you? Anyone ever told you that you have an overbearing personality? What is this, an interrogation?”

“Take it however you want. I only seek what is the best for us” comes Satsuki’s nonchalant reply.

Kiyoko grits her teeth to stop herself from uttering something foolish.

“Best for you, you mean. Then again that is the job of the boss. But I wanted to ask you something, too. Why didn’t Mrs. Kiryuuin Ragyou hand over REVOCS to you? You are an only child after all” Kiyoko folds her arms across her chest. The gesture is so Ryuuko in nature that Satsuki has to prevent the small flicker of hope in her heart from combusting into flames.

“I opposed REVOCS, as simple as that. I did not like the fact that they were embedding life fibres in clothing and would have shut it down once I inherited it. Ragyou was no fool─ she understood my predicaments and took steps accordingly. And it’s working apparently.”

“Well, I don’t think so. I am doing this for me and my interest alone. Mr. Rossi was not too fond of my idea either and tried his best to stop me from visiting Japan. So yeah, this blame game that you are playing, you are playing alone.”

“Only time will tell who the players are” Satsuki finishes her tea and puts the teacup and saucer down on the table, effectively signalling that their talk was over.

Kiyoko does not let it though.

“Well, it is just you. I, for one, got nothing to blame you for,” she says.

You should, Satsuki thinks silently. Kiyoko’s next sentence stops that line of thought. ~~~~

“Not yet anyway. And regarding Ragyou’s decision─ I can’t tell you not to resent me, I’ve long since learnt what we feel is beyond our control. But I would also like to make our time together a good memory rather than a bad one.”

“Your misconceptions are your own. I do not resent you. Just keep to your side of the agreement and you’ll do just fine. Also─”

“Also?”

“Do you know anything about Isshin Matoi?” Satsuki gauges her reaction carefully when she pitches the question. Perhaps she wanted to hear her say something like he was her father. Perhaps.

“Yeah. He was the head of the R & D department of REVOCS but was unfortunately killed in a house fire. Some of my project directly references his stuff” Kiyoko says, confusion lacing her voice. The sudden shift in topic makes her wary.

Satsuki lets out a breath she did not know she had been holding.

“Anything about his family?”

“Family? I don’t remember very well regarding his relatives. Just that his wife and child both perished. Why are you asking? Did you use to collaborate with him too?”

“He used to work for REVOCS, true, but he too had personal projects of his own. Ones that he did not want to hand over to the company. I am saying that those deaths were not accidents.”

Kiyoko’s eyes widen.

“You may find yourself in such a situation someday. What will you do then? Stick to the rules or save your life? Being the owner of REVOCS and a researcher of life-fibers, this will put you at a great risk.”

“You sure are great at being positive.”

“I am being practical. I need a failsafe assurance that this research won’t be misused.”

“For now, the only way to do that is to transfer my project to your name, in case of emergencies. That’s basically an extortion either way” Kiyoko mutters not too happily.

“It does not necessarily have to be me. Dr. Matoi had collaborations with many other organizations. You can pass it on to any of them. I’ll give you a week to decide. But meanwhile, you will need security.”

“I don’t want them! There’s always security for me back at France. It makes me look like I am some damsel in distress. I haven’t even inherited REVOCS yet─ I don’t want extra baggage too.”

Satsuki is about to rebuke the girl for throwing a tantrum, but Kiyoko beats her to it.

“But I understand your concern. I can stay here at the lab if you want.”

“The lab isn’t a place to reside in,” Satsuki tells gently.

“I guess I’ll just to have to ask Iori then. He works at the lab. Pretty sure he does not have such restrictive security on him.”

“And what are you going to ask him?”

“How does he handle you snooping into his life” the disdain is clear in her answer.

“You are not taking this seriously.”

“I am totally taking this seriously. You know what? I am sure that nothing I do will actually meet your standard for-” she pauses as she makes air quotes “-security.”

Satsuki is surprised that she actually managed to get that right. She is about to suggest Tsumugu as an alternative but Kiyoko surprises her even more.

“So, here’s my deal. I am going to stay with you” she finishes.

“So that’s your suggestion?” she asks as she quirks a fluffy eyebrow.

“Yes, take it or leave it.”

Kiyoko stops herself from smirking her victory smile. She is pretty sure that this will make her understand to what level she was invading her privacy. Allowing a stranger to live with oneself is not something most people would agree to.

“Alright then, you are more than welcome to stay with me.”

But Kiryuuin Satsuki is not most people.


	6. The First Night

Kiyoko stares as the Kiryuuin residence comes into view. The house is aesthetically pleasing but somehow disappoints her all the same.

“You know, I thought you lived in a mansion or something” she remarks.

“I did. This is a new house that was built just two years back,” Satsuki replies.

“Hmm. A mansion does not seem to suit your style anyway. I love the gardens though.”

“We are here.”

Satsuki’s car is a sleek black SUV. Nothing too fancy but utilitarian. Even her house – it’s just a two storeyed house, nothing too ostentatious. There’s an adjacent gym, sports and pool facility in the estate. Kiyoko takes her luggage out and follows Satsuki to the doorstep.

“Iori has already registered your biometric. So even if you forget your keys, you will be able to enter the house without any problem” Satsuki informs as she opens the door and steps in.

“Spare bedrooms are upstairs. Take your pick. There are washrooms at the end of the hallway both upstairs and downstairs if you want to shower.”

Kiyoko nods but then asks, “What about the food arrangements?”

“Kitchen is downstairs itself, that way” she points towards a door. “Mostly, I make the food. You can make yours if you want – just don’t burn down anything.”

“Nice hospitality you have,” she mutters.

“Take it or leave it,” Satsuki smiles knowingly at Kiyoko but the younger girl does not rise to the bait. Instead, she busies herself in transporting her luggage. The Kiryuuin only watches silently as her guest makes her way upstairs. Exhaling, she ventures towards the kitchen to prepare their dinner.

Kiyoko comes downstairs about an hour later, wearing a red t-shirt, a blue kerchief as a makeshift hair tie and track pants. She finds Satsuki cooking, as the door to the kitchen is kept open. She’s wearing a faded grey t-shirt with three quarter sleeves and blue shorts, along with a white apron.

“Hey, um, need any help?” she calls out, not sure whether Satsuki will appreciate her help or not.

“Set the table” comes the answer.

She does as she is instructed, bowls clinking quietly. She fills the glasses with water and lays down the plates. Something makes her nervous – she isn’t sure what. It is such a mundane task – she should not feel so much on edge.

A noise has her startled but it is only Satsuki. She sets the food down and they get ready to have their dinner.

“Nobody else is joining us?” Kiyoko asks.

“No, since I live alone.”

“It looks like a lot of food, though. Anyway, you have some lemons?”

“In the fridge.”

She helps herself to one of them, biting into the lemon.

“You eat the peel too?” Satsuki queries.

“Yeah, why not? I like it” Kiyoko shrugs.

Their dinner was a quiet affair. Kiyoko wanted to open a conversation with Satsuki but she simply did not look like the type to indulge in one.

“You do this every night?” Kiyoko finally asks as they stand side by side near the sink, washing the dishes. Satsuki notices that she is shorter than she remembered, but then again, her last memory of Ryuuko is in the blue heels of Junketsu.

“Everyone has dinner at night, I assume” comes the reply.

“I meant alone – by yourself” she resists rolling her eyeballs.

“Yes,” Satsuki says then adds after a pause. “Sometimes my friends come over.”

“You have friends?”

“Very funny,” Satsuki deadpans.

“I don’t know, you look more like the type to have subordinates instead of friends” Kiyoko backtracks. “Sorry, I did not mean to offend you.”

“None taken.”

Silence settles upon them and Kiyoko does not dig her grave further by saying something stupid. But when their dishes are done and Satsuki flops down on the couch instead of heading upstairs like she was doing, she simply asks.

“You are not going to sleep?”

“I will, in a bit,” Satsuki busies herself with a notebook and laptop, not bothering to look towards Kiyoko during her reply. As she waits for the laptop to boot up, she is addressed once more.

“Hey Kiryuuin?”

“Hmm?” No one calls her by her last name, at least none of her close friends does. It brings up the memories of all the times Ryuuko had uttered her name, reminding her each time that she was the daughter of Kiryuuin Ragyou and that she had a purpose to fulfill.  Always she spoke her full name, downright shouted it, expressing all her anger and disdain towards her in those two words.

Kiryuuin Satsuki.

“Thanks for the dinner. It was a good meal.”

Her amiable voice catches her off guard and she realises she had zoned out.

“Matoi, there’s no need to –” Satsuki finally turns to address her guest. “─ mention it.”

But the stairs are empty and Kiyoko is gone.

A second later it hits her that she had addressed her as ‘Matoi.’

*

“I feel like I know her.”

He speaks up his mind, as she takes off her blue kerchief to free her hair. A single white shirt lies on the ironing table and she takes out the iron to press it.

“Me too, Jun. It feels like I have seen her somewhere, crossed each other’s path, maybe even held conversations with her that were not as awkward as today. It feels like all this happened a lifetime ago, something beyond my reach. Or maybe I’m just too stupid to remember it,” she irons his fabric gently.

“It was the circumstances. You know that. And you are not stupid. You are Ryuuko,” he retorts. “And as long as you are Ryuuko, you’ll be alright.”

“Why do you keep calling me that? Don’t you grow tired when no one else acknowledges me as such?” she sighs.

“Her name is all I have to remember my previous wearer by, since I have lost quite a lot of old threads and with them, my memories as well. But I remember the taste of her blood and yours tastes just the same. So, to me you are Ryuuko.”

Kiyoko stops ironing and puts away the iron. Junketsu feels warm to touch and all she wants is to nuzzle her face into him. But that would undo all her efforts. So she places the blue piece of cloth around his collar and hangs him up in the wardrobe.

“I wish you remembered more of me though” she speaks softly but Junketsu hears the hurt in her voice all the same.

“Ryuuko.”

He knows he makes her upset when he calls her by this name. But it feels right to him. Ever since his Nexus thread was replaced, he feels like he was stripped of his very identity. Like he was something so much more and is now reduced to just a talking shirt.

“You can wear me tonight if you think it’ll help.”

Ryuuko was the first person to find him – it was her blood that fuelled him. He felt like he could conquer the whole world itself when Ryuuko wore him. Like he was a god. Ryuuko’s company is invaluable to him since no one else can understand his speech. And he wanted to adorn Ryuuko in all his glory but his new threads are simply not compatible enough to let him manifest into his activated form. So he often settles for making her feel good, his fabric providing a near instant relief to her when his life fibers connect with hers. It is a state of bliss for her – an unearthly high that is followed by an equally draining crash. And it looks like Ryuuko is pretty drained already.

“Nah, thanks for offering but all my efforts to iron would then go to waste” she points out. Pausing for a while, she pats his fabric softly.

“Good night, Junketsu.”

“Yeah, good night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just setting things up for the next few chapters. Comments are welcome.


	7. Decisions

“And this here is –"

“A Nexus thread,” Kiyoko finishes Iori’s sentence. She peers closely to get a better look. “It’s dormant, but still, in its exclusivity lies its significance. No wonder you excel at your research.” She draws back from the glass tube. “Mind if I run a few tests and keep it under observation?”

“Not at all. Be careful – do not remove the specimen from its storage. I’ll meet you later. I’ve a few simulations to run as well,” Iori turns and leaves, his long lab coat trailing behind him.

Kiyoko presses her right hand to her heart. She is wearing Junketsu today - she has brought him along if he had any inputs to offer or if something triggered his memory. He is silent though. He knows very well not to speak up in public unless it is something important. Moreover, she does not want to end up looking like a lunatic who talks to her clothes.

She starts to read up on the nexus thread. At least she is putting her mornings to a better use. She generally visited the lab around eleven in the morning but Satsuki leaves for her university at nine, leaving her with quite some time to kill.

“Ryuuko. Focus” Junketsu chides.

She knows she is wasting time, but she can’t help but think about the Kiryuuin a lot. Satsuki is nothing but formal, not just in personality but also in her dressing style as well. And there is a small corner in Kiyoko’s heart that yearns for some sort of meaningful connection with the woman. The house feels too large without Satsuki to distract her, and she feels like an intruder even though she is allowed to stay in it.

Kiyoko draws a deep breath. She needed to get back into her groove.

Going through the records, she finds out that the nexus thread originally belonged to a kamui called ‘Senketsu’. Apparently the kamui had possessed a human like sentience. It was reported damaged because of operations under exceedingly high temperatures and only a scrap was recovered.

But you are not gone, are you? She thinks as she stares at the red thread floating in the liquid filled glass tube. Are you still alive?

Her phone beeps suddenly, breaking the daze she was in. It was a reminder that she had set for Satsuki’s ultimatum, about the receiver of research should something were to happen to her. There were few choices really, around six, but there were two options that she was considering one from the most active organisation and the other from the least - The Nudist Beach and the Mankanshokus. She had no idea about either of them. She sighs. What is she supposed to tell the Kiryuuin?

Before her, the thread bobs up and down gently as the tube is aerated with a short burst of oxygen, bubbles breaking out in the fluid.

Kiyoko decides her answer.

*

The house is empty when Kiyoko returns. Generally, Satsuki reached home earlier than she did, but things seemed different day. Her stomach gives out a gurgle.

“Looks like all that thinking made you hungry” Junketsu cracked up.

“Shut up, Jun.” She puts down her bag on the couch. “I’m going to change. Don’t want you getting stained or spill something on you.”

“Huh?”

“I am going to cook, silly.”

“Oh.”

She proceeds to move upstairs as she unbuttoned two of his buttons but he stops her. “I don’t mind Ryuuko. I want to see you cook” he says. “I’m curious.”

“Alright.”

She busies herself with cooking. Fetching out the utensils, she searches for the ingredients of their meal. The kitchen is very organized – prim and proper with everything labelled. Seems just like a Kiryuuin thing to do, she thinks to herself.

She goes on thinking about how to approach Satsuki regarding her decision. Talking to the Kiryuuin is a difficult endeavour and an awkward process. Satsuki’s stern expression always puts her off and it feels like walking on eggshells whenever Kiyoko tries to crack open a conversation. Though the woman never voiced any discomfort, it always seemed like she was judging her, like she was expecting something from her and that it disappointed her to see Kiyoko fail to live up to those expectations.

“You are thinking too much Ryuuko.” Junketsu’s voice brings her back to reality. The oil in the frying pan was sizzling.

“Sorry Junketsu, I’ll be careful.”

“That woman is eating your mind. Why do you feel like you owe her something?” He’s annoyed and it reflects in his tone.

“I don’t know! I just want her to stop being so uptight all the time. I mean, I’m such a cool person to hang out with – why is she so uncomfortable around me?”

“I think the food is ready” he carefully distracts her from the topic. “Weren’t you hungry? You should freshen up.”

Kiyoko says nothing but proceeds to take a shower anyway.

When she comes back down, she finds that Satsuki has already set the table.

“You are late today.”

“Yes, it would seem so.”

“So –”

“Did –”

Both of them start simultaneously.

“You can go first” Kiyoko offers.

“Did you already have your dinner?”

“Nah, figured I could wait for you.” She pulls up a chair near the table. “I cooked dinner for us. Hope you are not allergic to anything.”

“I’m not. Itadakimasu.”

“Thank god. I was so hungry.”

It was a simple meal of rice and curry with a serving of salad. Kiyoko finishes her first helping in no time and serves herself a second one.

“You did not have to wait for me” Satsuki says quietly.

“I know. But if I’m here, why should you have to eat alone?” Kiyoko blurts out without thinking, busy wolfing down her food. A second later she realises she may have sounded too forthcoming about it.

“Unless, you want to eat alone – wait, did you want to eat alone? I did not even –”

“Thank you” Satsuki stops her with two simple words. “The dinner is delicious.”

A smile grows on Kiyoko’s face. “Food tastes best when you are hungry, and you did return late. I wasn’t sure whether you would already eat dinner from outside or come back to have one.”

Satsuki drinks some water. “You could have called me.”

“I thought you may be busy.” Kiyoko is surprised. Satsuki rarely keeps a conversation open. She must have done something right.

“True, but even leaving me a text would be sufficient.”

Kiyoko lets out a small burp in response. Satsuki stares. So much for doing something right.

“Um, sorry” she apologizes when they start doing the dishes.

“It’s alright.”

The house is silent except the sound of running water and dishes being scrubbed. Kiyoko needs to get the words out of her system but she ruminates on it for a minute, figuring out how to start the conversation.

“Kiryuuin?”

“Hmm?”

“I think it would be best for me to move out. This whole arrangement to stay here, it was just my whim – you out played my moves to your advantage anyway. I don’t want to extend this farce anymore and increase your disdain and animosity towards me. I admire your farsightedness and I know that you’ll make a great CEO someday. So, I would like to part on good terms with you.”

Speech over, and the ball is in Satsuki’s court.

“You want to leave?”

“I don’t want to but there’s no point in staying and increasing your discomfort level. Makes me feel like a creep.” Kiyoko nods.

“You think I bear animosity towards you?” Satsuki looks at her straight in the eye. Kiyoko does not break the gaze.

“More like you don’t want me around. You get my point, right?”

“If I didn’t want you around, I would have said so.”

“Huh?”

“You know, I did not come home late today. It was my usual time of return. For the past week, I’ve been returning earlier so that I could provide for you and get to know each other. It gave me something to look forward to and in a way, I have grown to like it.”

“I would’ve never guessed it, given how one-sided our conversations are.” Kiyoko sighs as she runs her hand through her hair.

“I apologize, I didn’t mean to be so unsocial but I’ve been told that my personality is overbearing.” There is a hint of a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Kiyoko reflects it. “Guess somebody has to put up with it. Might as well be me.”

“Is this what you wanted to talk to me about previously?” Satsuki changes the topic.

“Uh, no. I wanted to say that I’ve decided who would be in-charge of my research should anything happen to me.”

Kiyoko is silent after that. Satsuki prods, “And it is?”

“It is the Mankanshokus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Itadakimasu : The general greeting people at Japan say before a meal.
> 
> This takes place roughly around 7 days after Ryuuko joins the lab.


	8. Somebody That I Used To Know

The scenery around them changes gradually as they progress further into their trip. Buildings grow less imposing and traffic becomes a little less. There are fewer pedestrians too, Kiyoko observes.

“I did not think Kanagawa would be this far” she remarks.

“It is. But it would be good for you to meet them” Satsuki replies, but keeps her eyes trained on her driving.

“The Mankanshokus?”

“Yes. They…are a little bit eccentric but are people with good interests in their hearts.”

“You make it sound like you are taking me to visit a bunch of weirdos” Kiyoko rolls her eyes.

“Trust me.”

“I do. That’s why I agreed to your idea of this visit.”

“It is a logical step to take before making such an important decision. Just randomly choosing between your options can cause issues to come up later,” Satsuki’s tone is neutral but to Kiyoko it sounds like chiding from a long lost friend, for reasons she did not know.

“I told you already, I did not choose randomly─ something in Senketsu felt like there was a connection between the Mankanshokus and the kamui” she bristles back.

And Satsuki is reminded is reminded of that day when Mako had worn Senketsu atop _The Naked Sol._ When her blood had flowed through Senketsu’s threads, when Mako was concerned that it was wrong of her to wear her bestie’s Sunday best and when the duo had tried their best to reason with a Junketsu donned Ryuuko. But even with their shared blood connection they could not bring her back.

And neither could Satsuki.

“And you went with it? What if this decision is the wrong one? Will you change it if your perception of the Mankanshokus is not satisfactory?” Satsuki prods as she steers left in a turn.

“I am sure that Senketsu told me the truth. Lying is human nature─ I don’t think it applies to life fibres. And no, I won’t change my decision. The Nudist Beach sounds like a bunch of perverts anyway.”

“Even you are not sure whether he actually spoke to you.”

“I know that. Maybe if his other Nexus thread was there, I could have communicated with him” she replies, her gaze thoughtful. Satsuki only hums in response as they stopped at a red light. “Did you ever hear him talk?” Kiyoko asks, her voice laced with an emotion that Satsuki couldn’t quite put her finger on.

There is a long pause. Lengthy but not silent, for the engine of the car is still rumbling. The light turns green.

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he was sorry.”

*

The duo stood for a few seconds after ringing the doorbell.

Kiyoko is about to make some smart comment but the door opens precisely the second she opens her mouth to make the said comment. It is Mrs. Mankanshoku.

“Ahh! It’s good to see you, Lady Satsuki!” she is delighted to see her but the light in her eyes dims when her sight lands upon her companion. Kiyoko is a little taken aback on the pleasant greeting. Apparently even the Mankanshokus were on great terms with Satsuki to be on a first name basis.

“And you…”

“She is my friend. Imaishi Kiyoko, visiting from France” Satsuki introduces them. Kiyoko can’t mete out a reply- she’s too tongue tied over the fact that the Kiryuuin is finally comfortable enough with her to call her a friend. She settles for a short bow instead.

“Oh, right. Please come in. Mako and Mataro are out for grocery shopping and walking Guts but their dad is still at home.”

It is a quaint little bungalow but it is well furnished. Their poverty- stricken days at Honnouji were now behind them and Barazou made a decent earning as a doctor to support his family and help with his kids’ education.

They seat themselves around the _kotatsu_ arrangement in the living room. He’s surprised to see them and almost exclaims in shock but a silent nudge from Sukuyo shuts him up.

“Ahh, it’s great to see you girls. It has been a long time since we last saw you” he smiles.

“Uhh, you’ve never even seen me before but I appreciate the sentiment,” Kiyoko replies.

Satsuki gives a sharp look at her and Kiyoko shuts up. What did she do wrong? Maybe she should get to the point already.

“So, Ms. Imaishi, how did you meet Lady Satsuki?” Barazou asks.

“Oh, it was through my research. I needed some help and so I reached out to the Kiryuuin Industries.”

“Research?”

“Yeah, I’m researching the life fibers.”

There is a pin drop silence. Both the Mankanshokus look at her pensively. A little too pensively. Did she step on a nerve? She looks to Satsuki for help; Thankfully she gets the message and brings back the conversation.

“Yes, life fibers. And we want you to hold the custody of her research should any accidents happen” Satsuki intones.

“Us? Custody? Research?” Sukuyo is bewildered. “Sorry, but we would not know what to do with it.”

“Yeah, I mean we aren’t researchers or anything. That knowledge would work better in other hands.” Barazou rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

“No, that’s okay. I just expect it to be safe. And it’s only in case of an emergency” Kiyoko tries to assure him.

“Safe with us? We don’t exactly have the best security around.”

“Nobody will even think of looking for it in the Mankanshoku household. Please, this will help me out if I have your approval. I really want to continue studying this field.”

“Ryuuko?” a voice calls from her back.

“Yes?” Kiyoko turns her head to see who it is.

“Oof!” her breath leaves her body as Mako envelopes her in a tackle hug. She falls back on her elbows to support herself.

“You big dummy! Stupid! Idiot! You were gone for so long! I missed you a ton! Why didn’t you come back? You are so mean!” She wails as she holds Kiyoko in a tight embrace. Soft teardrops wet her shoulder as light brown hair tickles her chin. Kiyoko does not know what to say.

“Mako! That’s not how we greet our guests!” Sukuyo exclaims. Barazou carefully pries his daughter off Kiyoko.

“But Mom!”

“Mrs. Mankanshoku. I’ll talk it up with Mako. You all can continue our discussion from where we were interrupted” Satsuki dissolves the racket immediately, as she gestures towards Mako to follow her out of the room.

They end up in the kitchen.

“You must have questions. Go on” Satsuki says.

“What is left to say? I can probably guess how it went – she sent a message out of the blue and you agreed to meet. And then you brought her here to meet us under the guise of some minor work” Mako replies, her voice sad but hopeful.

“She does not remember the past, Mako” Satsuki tries not to light up the flicker of hope that Mako’s voice portrays. “She does not even who Ryuuko is.”

“But I do!” she exclaims, trying to counter the Kiryuuin’s reasoning. “And you do too! We know it’s her – then why aren’t you telling her?!”

“Dead people don’t turn up out of nowhere. I’m just trying to make sure it’s her.”

“What is there to be sure about? She’s Ryuuko and Ryuuko is not the type of girl to pretend!” Mako can’t help but raise her voice, but not angry, never angry. “If anything, it’s you!”

Tears run down her face. She’s not the one to shy away from her emotions. She feels and embraces her feelings. Why is Satsuki doing this again? Why doesn’t she understand? Slowly, she brings up her hand and wipes away her tears.

“Don’t you want her back? If you continue this pretense, then she’ll be gone, again, and this time of her own will. And if it happens, then I don’t know whether you’ll ever get her back again.”

Satsuki is quiet. But her mind is screaming at her to speak back, to deny all that Mako said. But she knows it is true. There was a drive in Matoi that she had never seen in anybody else. So she had spared no opportunities to rile her up. Twisted lies and deception, that was all she had offered to the angry and grieving girl. She reveled in the thrill that lay in crossing blades with her that she was borderline addicted to. So, she continued her false charade that had Matoi coming back to her like a dog for a tid-bit of bone. In the world of manipulation, Matoi’s simplicity and honesty was something like an oasis in a dry desert and it always gave her hope that if someone could end the conspiracy of the life-fibers, it was her.

She does not want to lose Ryuuko again.

(It hurts when she remembers that she never had her in the first place.)

A series of barks resound in the corridor. Mako gets up. “Mataro and Guts are back. I better check up on them.”

Satsuki follows her shortly and is met with a comical sight. Mataro is holding back Guts’ leash tightly so that the dog doesn’t slobber all over Kiyoko. The girl kneels down in front the dog and scratches his chin. “Who’s a good boy? Yeah, it’s Guts!”

“Ryuuko ane-san…” Mataro mumbles in wonder.

“Take care, Mataro” she says as she gets up and flashes a thumbs up sign at Satsuki.

They exchange goodbyes soon. The Mankanshokus are almost in tears as they watch them leave in Satsuki’s car. But at least their job is done.

On the way back, Satsuki mulls upon Mako’s words. She wants to believe that this person was Ryuuko, she really does. But her doubts, lurking in the forefront of her mind prevent her from doing so. Kiyoko is hiding something and she can feel it. Or why else would she respond to being called as Ryuuko? She did not deny or correct the way she was addressed either.

Hope is a fickle thing and Satsuki wants the security of facts. So, later that night, she makes an encrypted call to Mikisugi and then Iori.

“You’ll need to get her DNA” Iori replies. “But my Lady, what will you do if it is indeed her?”

There is a momentary pause but Satsuki’s answer is resolute. “I will get her back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going on a hiatus of 2 months. Have entrance exams to prepare for.


	9. A Different Name

The leaflet beckons to her as it lay on the table innocently. Satsuki was writing something on a similar leaflet a few seconds ago. She probably went to the bathroom or something and now the living room was empty. Kiyoko sits down on the sofa to take a look at it. It was a problem sheet – mostly numericals related to statistics and probability. Some of it was familiar to her, so she starts solving one of them as she had nothing better to do anyway.

“What are you doing?”

Kiyoko cringes inwardly but looks up to meet the Kiryuuin’s gaze. “Umm, maths?”

“You do know that is mine, right?” Satsuki says. She is holding two cups of tea in hands. She passes one to Kiyoko.

“Sorry. I was curious – I half solved one of the problems. That won’t cause any trouble, right?”

“No, but you should have asked. These are practice sheets. I’ve a test tomorrow so I was just revising and practicing for the same” Satsuki sips her tea.

“What’s your major?”

“Business management.”

“Nice. Mr. Rossi has minored in that one but I wasn’t interested in taking it up.”

Kiyoko sips her tea. And immediately her face scrunches up as her eyes squeeze shut. Somehow, she gulps down the tea.

“What’s wrong?”

Kiyoko opens her eyes to find Satsuki looking at her, concern lacing her gaze. The tea was really bitter but she decides to sugar-coat the fact upon seeing the Kiryuuin’s pensive face.

“Nothing. I’m just not used to this kind of tea.”

Satsuki only smiles softly. “I know that it’s bitter. You don’t have to drink it.” Kiyoko simply waves her off saying that she’ll be fine.

“So what are you majoring in?”

“Biotechnology. Since semester break was going on, I decided to put the time to some use.”

Satsuki finishes her tea. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Kiyoko stops making faces as she drank her tea and looks at her, somewhat surprised. Kiryuuin never asks for permission for anything – well, she does not need to. It is her house after all.

“What is it?”

“Can I call you as Ryuuko too?”

“Huh?” Kiyoko isn’t expecting that one.

“You did not seem to mind when Mankanshoku addressed you as such. Did you have anyone who called you with this name?”

Kiyoko lowers her gaze as she decides upon her answer. And then she looks up once again. “It may sound crazy but I think I can hear some life fibers, but not clearly enough to understand them. The sentient ones at least.  After all that’s what my research is about”

“Like Senketsu?”

“Like Senketsu.”

~~(Like Junketsu.)~~

“Go on.”

“I’m always referred to as Ryuuko by them. That is why the name is familiar to me. But I guess she is a real person, isn’t she?”

Satsuki is silent for a few seconds. Kiyoko wonders whether or not she said something stupid, again. She thinks that maybe she brought up some uncomfortable topic, that the Kiryuuin might not want to say to her. She does not look sad but there is an entirely uncategorized class of emotion painted in her expression. Kiyoko does not like it one bit. She decides to bring back the topic of their conversation so as to lighten the demeanour of the moody Kiryuuin.

“She was. The Ryuuko we knew is dead. You just happen to share some striking similarities with her, which was the reason Mankanshoku called you by that name.”

“Oh, I did not know about that. It’s not a problem though, if you address me as such. It sounds like a fun name.”

“Fun name?”

“Yeah, fun name. You probably wouldn’t understand, Ms. No Fun,” she grins.

“Hey.”

Kiyoko makes a serious face and crosses her legs as a poor imitation of Satsuki. “Look at me. I’m Kiryuuin Satsuki. I want tea. I do not know how to have fun. I am so serious all the time that my friends cannot even tell when I’ve got a test the next day. I’m – uff!”

She is swiftly interrupted by a smack to her face from a flying leaflet. That doesn’t stop her from smiling though. Her plan is working. Something in her heart goes soft when she sees Satsuki with an amused expression on her face. “See, you are a maestro on pouring rain on fun.”

“I’m not that serious.”

“You totally are.”

“Alright then, let us do something tomorrow, in the evening” Satsuki proposes.

“Why not the entire week?”

“It is my exam week. I have few more tests lined up the next week.”

“Bummer. Maybe we can plan something for later. But for now, what do you have in mind for tomorrow?”

“How do you feel about a kendo match?”

*

Jet lag is a real nuisance, Mikisugi thinks. He is currently sleepy, tired and in the French branch of REVOCS. Lady Satsuki had entailed to him what her plan was – to track down what exactly happened to Ryuuko in the missing one and a half year. She had relayed the information she had managed to gather and wanted him to send any intel he could find on Imaishi Kiyoko.

“Mr. Kuroido?” A female voice calls out.

“Yes, that would be me,” he lies smoothly. It is frightening how deceptively easy it is to impersonate a person if you had the right connections. In his case, it is Inumuta. Who knows who it is for Ryuuko?

“Please follow me. Mr. Rossi is awaiting your arrival in his office.”

“Alright.”

He already knows what Paul Rossi looks like. His photos are well available on the internet. Still, seeing him in person is a different deal than seeing his images.

Cropped brown hair is swept stylishly to his left side and sharp black eyes rest beneath a pair of thick but well groomed eyebrows. Black half rimmed spectacles sit gracefully atop his straight nose. Thin lips are slightly set down into a frown and he has a short beard along his jawline and chin. His business ensemble adds to his serious getup of a twenty six year old acting CEO of the world’s leading clothing brand.

“I’m Paul Rossi,” he extends his hand, not bothering to get up from his seat.

Mikisugi shakes it, as he takes his seat.

“Kuroido Takiji.”

He lets go of the hand, but the tension between them does not fade.

“Now, I know you must have had a long journey. You must be fatigued, what not with visiting me the same day as your arrival. Say, why don’t we continue our conversation tomorrow, back at my place?” Paul adjusts his glasses.

Mikisugi takes the hint. His eyes sweep over the room briefly. Of course, there is a camera in the room.

“Sure. That’s fine with me.”

“Great. I hope you find the accommodations to your taste,” Paul says as he forwards a card with his address on it.

Mikisugi pockets it and stands up, signalling that the conversation is over. “It has been a pleasure to meet you Mr. Rossi.”

The CEO smiles, a polite mask on his face.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

 


	10. ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK: PART 1

Mr. Rossi’s place happens to be a small office, just next to their now shutdown life fiber lab. There isn’t any other REVOCS staff working there, only the cleaning and maintenance unit. There is no receptionist and no serving staffs either. If anyone wanted to get away with murder, the basement of this building would be the perfect place.

Mikisugi feels a bit on edge. The building might be unassuming, but there are no labels on the doors. He has already walked into a janitor’s closet a few minutes ago. Thankfully, he meets a staff who was carrying over some files to another room and directed him to another nameless door which was supposedly the CEO’s office. He offers to help him out too, by offering to carry his files (more like folders; they had little alpha numeric labels on them), but the man refuses politely. He thinks, should any unfortunate incident truly happen to him, no one would be able to find out his body and he would be declared MIA. Even if they did, he is under a disguise and being found out that way would raise severe complications that could compromise the mission. For now, he only mutters a thank you to his helpful guide and makes his way to his destination.

His disguise is impeccable though. He is wearing a black wig with shoulder length hair, brown contacts and a whole lot of false beard and moustache. He is also wearing his signature sunglasses, even though he is sitting right with Paul in his soundproof cabin.

“If I told you that Mrs. Kiryuuin had told me about the life fibres before her death, would you believe me?” Mikisugi asks, throwing in a bluff in the hopes that Paul would buy it.

“If you are talking about the future plans, then very obviously, no. She only ever informed a handful of staff here at France and it is classified information. No one else could have known, this I’m sure about” Rossi replies smoothly.

This is going to be harder than he thought.

“No one else except the life fibers” Mikisugi adds, carefully gauging his reaction.

“Does not matter. All of them are dormant now. Even if they did know, they would not be able to convey it to anyone. It is not like anyone can hear them in the first place.”

Finally, that is something I can argue with, Mikisugi thinks.

“You do know that they can manipulate our nervous system, right? And a whole lot of other stuff as well─ superhuman strength, enhanced abilities, improved ref─”

“Yes, I do know” Paul cuts in coldly. “Who do you think you are talking to? I’m a life fiber researcher myself. The plans of the worldwide activation might have been Mrs. Ragyou’s but she had to get the vision from somewhere. So why don’t you take a guess?”

He has a point. But why is he telling him all of this? Maybe something had happened between him and Ragyou. A disagreement, perhaps? Nevertheless, he continues to humour him.

“The Primordial Life Fiber.”

“At least, you know the basics.”

“Oh, I know more than that. The mother fiber was not the last of Mrs. Ragyou’s plans. You know that too. Kiyoko’s involvement certainly proves that.”

“And certainly you have no idea that her involvement was a necessary step. I’m not a fool to send her off for gallivanting in a foreign land. There’s work to be done.”

“Won’t her past acquaintances recognize her? Or she them?”

“Oh, I’m sure she would recognize no one. As for them, they can’t prove it. The miniscule data on Kiyoko’s past has been altered─ all thanks to Rei and the clones.”

Rei? Clones? He recalls that Inumuta’s clones had indeed managed to hack the kid’s computer. That also meant he had lost any chance to track the origin of the clones, since they must have erased any data on them. But it was a very specific information, one that was well contained under the guise of “heavy machinery failure” which led to the sinking of Honnouji island. Only the students and the Nudist beach knew about it. And since Paul knows about it too, that implied he was involved in this fiasco. He only needed to know how exactly.

“I guess, I do not have much to worry about then. Still, one can never be too careful. Ryuuko-kun is an unpredictable variable.”

That gets a reaction out of him faster than his previous attempts. Paul pushes his glasses up his nose and sits straighter.

“What do you know about her?”

Well, time to bargain.

“Relax, I’m on your side. I do have some intel on her. But maybe you could arrange for a visit to your life-fiber lab first? Working on Mrs. Kiryuuin’s plans will require some amount of co-operation, Mr. Rossi. I need to look after the branch back at Japan, after all.”

Silence reigns for a few seconds. For a moment, he is afraid that maybe he’s overshooting his league. Paul is a very smart man and only a strong compulsion would force him to do his bidding. And Mikisugi isn’t too sure that his meagre offering of some paltry information would convince him.

“I guess I can arrange for the visit. You’ll be informed accordingly. We shall meet again in a few days” Paul says.

“I’ll be looking forward to it” Mikisugi smiles.

*

“What? And you agreed to this?”

“Yes, Jun. It seems fun, and I’ll get to spend some time as well. I wonder how good she is at swordplay─ think I can take her?” she’s positively thrumming with excitement but Junketsu does not share her enthusiasm. There’s something about Satsuki that does not strike him right and all he wants is for Ryuuko to listen to him.

“I think it’s a bad idea” he mutters.

“What? You are afraid of me getting injured?” she finishes packing an extra set of spare clothes and water bottle into a duffel bag. “Aww, I knew it! Jun you care about me so much! You are so─”

“Ryuuko. I’m being serious” he cuts in. “Listen to me. You are getting carried away─ just because she has chosen to spend some time with you does not mean that she doesn’t have ulterior motives.”

“Oh yeah, what would that be? Killing me? I think you are blowing this out of proportion” she retorts, tired of their disagreement. Their argument is going nowhere.

“I don’t want her to find out about your condition” he admits. It is but a half truth but he is sure that Ryuuko will buy it. And she does.

“Don’t worry, she won’t know about my hybrid status. I’ll be careful” she pats him softly as she hangs him up.

Why is this happening? He thought he knew her well; he has known her since she has gained consciousness─ where is he going wrong? Ryuuko is changing and he is sure that Satsuki is the cause for it. That woman tends to bring out the shades in Ryuuko’s personality that he has never even seen before. And he does not like these changes one bit.

“Why won’t you wear me at least?” he asks as a last-ditch attempt. He feels like he has no choice other than resorting to desperation. He does not care; this way he could at least still be with her.

Even if she feels so far beyond his reach.

“You know why. It’s hard enough to disguise you as a hair tie─ it’ll only raise more suspicions should Satsuki manage to find out. What has gotten into you?”

“I just…”

Don’t want you to leave me for her.

“…worry” he finishes, albeit resignedly. It is no use─ he knows he has lost the argument.

“I’ll see you later tonight, Jun” she waves him goodbye and heads out to the dojo.

Satsuki is already waiting for her, punctual like always. Her hair is tied up with a white ribbon and she is already in her kendo gear, albeit without the faceguard. She looks different though─ the sports getup takes away the formal look she always carries and replaces it with something more relaxed. Or maybe it is the atmosphere. The dojo is vast and well-lit and them being the only two people adds a bit of familiarity.

Like a meeting of old friends.

“You are here early” Ryuuko smiles.

“Yes, I do not have classes on the day of my exams” Satsuki replies.

“Give me a minute, I am going to get ready” she says as she goes into one of the changing rooms. When she gets out, she is fully equipped for their match just like Satsuki. Picking up a bamboo sword, she steps into the ring.

The match begins the instant a buzzer goes off somewhere. Ryuuko charges forward, swinging her sword in one swift arc. Satsuki blocks it. Ryuuko tries again and again to make an opening but Satsuki is fast and her defense is solid. Her barrage tires her out and soon one of her attacks slows down for a millisecond─ enough for Satsuki to counter it and land a solid strike to her opponent’s chest. The force of it compels Ryuuko to take a step back and Satsuki uses this misstep to land a blow that sends her sword flying out of her hands.

It clatters to the floor and Ryuuko finds a sword aimed at her face.

“Never expected you to be this good, Kiryuuin” she smirks beneath her faceguard.

“Practice helps” Satsuki lowers her sword.

“I guess you have a good trainer.”

“More like a friend─ he’s really good at this.”

Ryuuko hums as she retrieves her sword and gets ready for round two.

“You do not fight like an amateur, either” Satsuki notes as she evades on of her strikes.

“Yeah, Paul had me take self defense classes. He knows martial arts too. Although I never learnt kendo─” Ryuuko blocks an incoming blow and continues “─swordplay feels natural to me. Just not all of this formal stuff.”

Of course, Satsuki thinks. Maybe she should try a different approach. Her mind made, she proceeds towards a more aggressive set of moves and soon disarms Ryuuko.

“Looks like you win again. You want one more round or should we call it a day?” Ryuuko asks.

“Tired already?”

“Hardly. But I don’t think the results are going to change.”

Satsuki seems to consider her answer for a moment but then replies, “One more.”

“Alright,” Ryuuko fixes her faceguard as she picks up her sword.

“Wait. Take off the guard and plates.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve got something for you. Come with me” Satsuki gestures. They reach over to where Satsuki’s bag lay. There is a long box in it and when she opens it, there is a long, red but one half of a scissor blade inside it.

“Whoa. This is beautiful─ it looks so fabulous” Ryuuko gapes.

“Wait till you see mine” Satsuki’s voice has a teasing lilt and she can’t help but feel like a rich kid showing off their shiny new toys to others. Even though it was partly true.

She draws out Bakuzan Gako and Bakuzan Kouryu from their sheaths. It has been a long time since she had last used them for any meaningful combat purpose. In all reality, she has missed it. It is about time that these blades saw some real action.

“This time the rules will be bit different. Firstly, we would simply fight in our gi without any protective gear. Secondly, you can win by a ring out or disarming. Also remember to avoid dealing any major injury causing attacks.”

“What, you scared?”

“The results say otherwise, Ryuuko. And if I was, I would not have offered you this opportunity.”

Ryuuko shrugs. It is her go to reaction when her retorts fall flat.

“Anything else?” Satsuki asks.

“Yeah, what are these swords’ names?”

“Mines are called Bakuzan Gako and Bakuzan Kouryu. We call yours as the Scissor Blade.”

“What? No fancy name for this one?” Ryuuko tests the heft of the sword by swinging it a few times. The build feels solid and the grip familiar. She can already feel the adrenaline running in her blood─ she’s going to wipe the floor with this one.

“I’m afraid not. Now, are you ready?” Satsuki shifts into a duelling stance as she takes her position in the ring.

“I was born ready” Ryuuko smirks as she lunges forward. Their first strike rings out clearly through the dojo. Without the heavy gear, Ryuuko feels lighter and her footwork─ as unorthodox as it is─ puts Satsuki on the defense.

She keeps up her attack, thinking she will finally manage to overpower Satsuki. But the Kiryuuin is far more skilled than she is─ blocking and parrying her moves with effortless grace. Ryuuko brings her sword down straight but Satsuki blocks it, sweeping her legs beneath her to break Ryuuko’s stance.

It does but Ryuuko does a handspring to break her fall. Satsuki seeing the window of opportunity, makes her move. However, her sweeping strike only manages to skim the neck of the younger girl─ her reflexes saving her at the nick of time.

She finds her footing soon enough, the rush of blood roaring in her ears like waves crashing on a rocky shore. She can feel the warm liquid oozing out of the miniscule cut in her neck. That move was fatal, she realises as she suppresses her fibres from healing the wound instantly. What is Satsuki’s deal?

“A pity. I thought levelling the field might give you an advantage. Looks like you’re just talk after all.”

And suddenly she’s not thinking anymore. She’s angry and all she sees is red. There’s something clawing in her subconsciousness and it obscures her vision. A feeling of deep vendetta surfaces from the hidden depths of a past long forgotten, but she can only feel the rage fuelling her motion.

She crosses over the distance between them in the blink of an eye and swings her sword sideways in a wide arc─ her movements inhumanely fast for the naked eye to register. But to Ryuuko it might as well have been in slow motion.

She sees Satsuki’s eyes widen as she realises that she won’t be able to block the attack in time. There is real panic in her eyes as the sword closes in on her.

_“What, you scared?”_

Ryuuko remembers her words. Satsuki’s split-second look is enough to break Ryuuko out of her trance. But there is not enough time to change the trajectory of her swing─ so instead she twists her wrist and tries to hold back on the magnitude of force she’s hitting with.

The pommel of her scissor blade makes an impact with Satsuki’s temple. A pained noise escapes her throat as her eyes roll over to the back of her head. Her vision fades to black and the ground disappears from beneath her feet.

Satsuki collapses. She does not get back up.


	11. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: Part 2

“Iori, I think I have killed her!” Ryuuko cries into her phone, her voice frantic and her mind in an utter state of disarray. Yet, she tries to follow the instructions that are coming from the other side, only to find that they are redundant.

“I’ve already tried sprinkling water on her face! And called the ambulance as well! She’s not waking up!” Satsuki hasn’t shown the slightest sign of consciousness since she was hit. Although there is no external bleeding, Ryuuko knows better than to undermine such a critical hit to the head─ there could be internal haemorrhage or skull fracture or any other complication. And the fact that she is the one to inflict such a grievous injury only makes her grow more despondent.

She carefully cradles Satsuki’s head and checks her pulse near her wrist. It is steady but that does not take away the immense guilt that is tearing her heart apart. “I am sorry. Wake up, Satsuki, please” she begs, her voice pleading. She squeezes her hand softly to give herself some semblance of hope, however, the Kiryuuin’s hand lies still and does not squeeze back.

Tears pool in her eyes. Ryuuko stifles her urge to sob and closes her eyes shut. A single tear drop rolls down her cheek and drops with a soft _plip_ on to Satsuki’s face. Her chest heaves and she curls in on herself as she lets out a choked sob.

In the vastness of the dojo, Ryuuko cries over her comatose friend.

*

Iori had already made arrangements for Satsuki at the hospital. In fact, he is already waiting when Ryuuko arrives with the doctors wheeling an unconscious Satsuki. They busy themselves with her in one of rooms and Ryuuko is left alone with Iori in the hospital foyer.

“So, mind filling me in?” he asks. Ryuuko nods slowly as she looks at him with slightly swollen red eyes. “Give me a minute” she says as she goes to the washroom to freshen up a bit. But when she stands in front of the mirror, she can’t help but have another breakdown.

A few other occupants pat her shoulders sympathetically. She cannot bring herself to respond to them. How could she hurt the person she cared about? Junketsu was right to worry, and on top of that she had the audacity to promise that she would be careful. To her it was just some placating words uttered carelessly─ then why did a broken promise ache like a broken heart?

“Are you okay?” Worry laces Iori’s tone. She must have looked terrible for him to outright voice his concern.

“I’m not the one currently admitted to a hospital, am I?” she says bitterly.

“You don’t look okay. I’m here to listen if you have anything to say.”

Ryuuko says nothing for a few seconds, staring vacantly at the ceiling. “I just ruined someone’s life─ what else is there to say? We were sparring and I got careless. And now look where she is. I don’t know how I’ll handle it should any permanent damage happen to her. Shit, how do I even face her when she comes around? Would she even forgive me? Maybe she’ll press charges against me─ yeah, perhaps that would serve me right.”

“Don’t fret so much. She has seen worse─ I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“She has a test day after tomorrow, you know that? I probably ruined that too. Maybe you should talk up with her university staffs and let them postpone it.”

“Ridiculous. I cannot make any decisions regarding Lady Satsuki without even consulting her. She’ll come around soon─ we should wait.”

Ryuuko knows that. Her perception of the Kiryuuin changed that night when they had shared a conversation by the kitchen sink. Her musings are cut short as her stomach lets out a weakened gurgle. She hugs her stomach gently as if to shush it down.

“There’s a food plaza nearby. You should go and have dinner.”

She tries to protest but Iori stops her.

“I’ll be here, of course. Should she wake up, I shall call you.”

There is no point in arguing. The stress has worn her down and she hasn’t eaten anything since afternoon. She nods slowly as she leaves to have some food.

She comes back after an hour only to find that Iori has been replaced by a short, pink haired girl. She has pink eyes and is wearing a pink full sleeve t-shirt with white polka dots paired with light blue jeans and a stylish skull marked hat.

Ryuuko approaches her, thinking she might know about Iori’s whereabouts. On second thought, she decides to call him and takes out her phone but since she is already near her, she decides to ask her anyway.

“Hey, have you seen─”

An intense slap to her cheek makes her drop her smartphone in surprise. It slips from her hand to the tiled floor. The screen shatters immediately on impact, jagged lines of crack damaging the phone irreparably. She is about to hurl some insults, but another tremendous slap from the woman makes her lose her balance. Her left shoe─ a red open toed, slightly raised sandal─ comes off and she crashes into a potted plant on the corridor. The edge of the pot suffers a crack as the rim is shattered at the edge. Ryuuko’s right elbow flares up in pain when she tries to get up.

“How dare you comeback?!” the woman snarls. “Don’t you think you have caused enough ruckus already? Just leave Lady Satsuki alone!”

Ryuuko bites back her retorts. People are staring and she does not want to cause more drama─ they have already created a scene. For now, the only thing she can do is let the woman spew all those bitter, bitter words. She tries to tune them out but it’s hard, knowing that all of her accusations are true. She lowers her head, her bangs obscuring her eyes, lest she should cry.

“Go back to where you came from. Trash like you don’t belong here─ much less by Lady Satsuki’s side.”

Her phone vibrates, cutting off her rebukes. She glances at it and walks away, leaving her lying alone on the cold, tiled hospital floor.

Inside the ward where Satsuki is resting, Iori sighs as his call to Ryuuko fails to connect yet again. Maybe she’ll show up some time later, he thinks. For now, he has already alerted Nonon. Additionally, he has also informed the other Elites of Satsuki’s condition and they are already en route to Tokyo, except for Gamagoori, who’ll be coming over in a few days since he is abroad due to a business trip and Sanageyama, who was currently participating in a tournament in China. Iori thinks he will probably see the others tomorrow, or at the most day after tomorrow. As of now, Nonon was the only one close enough to reach the hospital so soon. Speaking of which, she happens to make an entrance at that very moment.

“How’s she doing?” she asks.

“She’s gaining consciousness” he responds.

They keep a close watch on her and her vitals and soon enough, Satsuki opens her eyes, blue irises expanding as they are exposed to the LED lights of the hospital. The setting may have been unfamiliar but seeing some known faces help her regain her mental bearings.

“It is good to see you again, Lady Satsuki” Nonon greets her.

“Same here, Jakuzure.”

“I just wish we had met under better circumstances.”

“You need not concern yourself─ I am alright.” Satsuki sits up straight.

“That is correct. Scans show that no internal damage was done. Slight swelling may be observed and it is predicted to subside in three days. The pain may take up to a week to go away, however, proper medication will help to alleviate it” Iori remarks.

Nonon lets out a sigh of relief. “At least you have some good news. I guess that means you’ll be discharged soon.”

“Yes, I am going to fetch the doctor. Once he clears Lady Satsuki’s health, I can drive us back” Iori agrees as he goes out of the room to do as he said.

Satsuki closes her eyes for a second.

“Are you feeling unwell, Lady Satsuki?”

“Where is Ryuuko?”

Nonon almost flinches. She has some background on Ryuuko 2.0, thanks to Iori but she had not expected her to be this close to Satsuki already. The fact that the Kiryuuin now calls her by her supposedly first name speaks volumes about how closely Satsuki regards that girl. Satsuki is serious─ and she knows that too well. Shoving aside all her questions, she decides to reply.

“She was waiting for you outside and wanted to check up on you. I said her to leave you alone. Maybe she left” she answers quietly.

“Why did you do so?”

“Well, isn’t your situation her fault? And even if she’s Ryuuko, all she’s good for is causing chaos wherever she goes. I─ I just wanted you to stay away from such a walking disaster.”

“It was an accident but she saved me. I would have liked to thank her for her assistance but it seems it is no longer possible as of now. Perhaps I shall see her back at home,” Satsuki says coolly but Nonon has spent enough time (years) to detect that tinge of disappointment in her tone. Her thoughts are further cemented when Satsuki adds, “You should go back to wherever you are staying for the night. Iori will drive me back to my house.”

*

By the time Satsuki is dropped off at her house, it is late at night. She notices her duffel bag lying near the couch. When she opens it, she finds the pair of Bakuzan swords and the scissor blade in it along with rest of her stuff that she had carried over to the dojo. Ryuuko must have brought them back.

She unsheathes the wakizashi gently and inspects it. There is still some blood on it─ she had cut the younger girl with it after all. Ryuuko must not have bothered to clean it. Or maybe she simply didn’t notice or forgot about it─ Iori did mention that she was quite distressed. She places the sword back and decides to pay the girl a visit.

However, she notices a cup of tea sitting silently on the table. She knows it is meant as an apology─ but she also knows Ryuuko would have talked to her first. What did Nonon exactly say to her at the hospital? The tea is lukewarm indicating that quite some time has passed since it was made but she drinks it anyway. It is brewed differently, a lemony tang accompanying the beverage. That girl sure does like lemons a lot, she thinks and it makes her smile warmly.

She does not expect any response when she knocks twice on Ryuuko’s door and there isn’t one either, so she decides to take a peek inside. Ryuuko is asleep but the blanket is kept neatly near the headboard. She is lying on her front, hugging a pillow to her face. Seems like she cried herself to sleep, as evident by her still wearing her work clothes. A strangest urge to comfort the sleeping girl comes upon Satsuki. She settles for draping the blanket over her instead and shuts the door quietly.

When did she grow so fond of Ryuuko? She does not know the answer to this question. All she knows that Ryuuko does not deserve this. Mako was right; if she keeps manipulating her then no amount of apologies will undo their “somewhat-friends-who-also-live-with-each-other” relation. Today’s event has strained it enough and something in her wants to salvage it before something happens.

I’m sorry, I’m going to treat you better, she thinks. This is the last time.

She emails Inumuta that night, asking him to arrange for a DNA test. Very specifically, a DNA test of “Imaishi Kiyoko”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some feedback would be nice (:


	12. A New Friend & An Old One

Mikisugi’s mind is currently in overdrive. He has cross checked with Rei and she has just confirmed that the technique needed for creating life fiber clones had indeed, originally been supplied by REVOCS, France. Paul definitely had a behind-the-scenes role in pulling this stunt off. An even worse thought starts to plague his mind─ what if Ryuuko was really dead and Kiyoko is nothing more than her life fiber clone? He files it away in his mind for later confirmation, but still, it is a worrisome thought.

No, he must not dwell on negative thoughts. He focuses on getting his getup right─ he has a visit to the life fiber plant today.

Firstly, he is introduced to a man called Oliver when he reaches the lab. And Mikisugi’s first impression of him is disappointing. He had expected a high ranking official or at least a senior scientist to show him around. Instead, he gets an errand boy as his guide.

“What’s your name?” the guy asks. He is a jovial young fellow and Aikuro tries not to let his disappointment damp Oliver’s spirit.

“Kuroido Takiji.”

“Cool. I’m Oliver Blaine. Nice to meetcha.”

The plant is enormous. It is a modern marvel of technology─ a sleeping giant. Turns out the errand boy actually knew his way around the plant, even if he did not fully understand the technicalities of each section. If this is supposed to be a “let-down” tactic from Paul in the hopes that he won’t get to know much, then Mikisugi can say that it didn’t actually work to benefit the CEO.

The doors can be manually opened or closed except for the ones containing sensitive equipment or server rooms, which happened to be almost all the rooms. They are accessed by employee cards. Not that it really matters, since it has been over a year that the plant was shut down. However, something catches his eye─ in one of the facilities, the lights are dimmed and the servers and machines are still running. Oliver notices his gaze and proceeds to explain the situation.

“Oh that? Miss Kiyoko used to run simulations in that room─ that was one dedicated lady. But still she was fun to be around─ guess she left the servers running for some work.” He pauses but then adds, “It’s a pity nobody quite understood what she was actually tryna’ do. Sometimes I would ask her and she would explain it to me but it went way over my head.”

He smiles sheepishly as he rubs the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”

“No problem. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see young people interested in this field of research. You would’ve done well” Mikisugi assures him. He is starting to like him─ his down to earth attitude a stark contrast to the snobby corporate higher ups. His internal musings are cut short as Oliver continues.

“I am a beginner─ sorry, was. I could have secured a permanent job as a researcher if not for the whole shindig that happened with the life fibres. Had an office too, although it wasn’t much, just a computer and a locker.”

“You still have your PC right? You can continue your─”

“No, I can’t. I may still have those stuff but I can’t use the lab facilities anymore. No one can, except Miss Kiyoko, but she’s Paul’s protégé, so I guess it does not matter.”

Mikisugi wants to ask him more questions, but the boy is upset and instead proceeds to show him the rest of the lab. They pass by a rather innocent looking room, simply titled as ‘Records’ but it is locked.

“What is in that room?” Mikisugi enquires.

“It contains important documents as far as I know. Personally, I’ve never set a foot inside it. However, my dad has and I heard it from him.”

“Your dad?”

“Yeah, come on, this tour is over─ we can explore the grounds outside” Oliver changes the subject quickly as he leads Mikisugi out of the facilities. He is strangely quiet the next few minutes and it all hits Aikuro all of a sudden as the pieces finally come together.

“You and your father lost your jobs, didn’t you?”

“Yes” he answers tonelessly, so perhaps Mikisugi is imagining the hurt. “He was a senior life fiber scientist and I was planning to follow in his footsteps. Now, look at me, look at us─ I am just an errand boy and my dad is reduced to a low ranking management staff.”

They pass a drinking water fountain in the ground. Both of them stop to drink some water. It is a break that they did not know they needed. Mikisugi resumes his thread of questions, before it can be closed.

“Then why continue working here?”

“Well, as long as Miss Kiyoko’s around, I can still hope to learn something and as for my dad, he works under Paul now, not REVOCS, and manages some of his side ventures like charities or transport.”

Aikuro raises a brow. “Aren’t you also involved with transport and delivery?”

“Yeah, but I just keep inventory.”

“Wanna show me your work?”

“You would see it? Fair warning, it’s really boring” Oliver says but does not disagree with Mikisugi’s suggestion.

He shows him the process of how he worked. The trucks carrying raw materials line up at the depo and the cargo is unloaded into smaller vans or into another set of trucks to distribute in the plant. Oliver kept track of each bundle and crate by slapping on a bar code on them according to their categories and scanned them to make an entry. Aikuro simply stares at the sheer scale of operations.

“Don’t you people ever mess up?”

“Sometimes. Most of the issues are small but there was this one time when a non-standard package came in. I flagged it, but later my dad came personally to retrieve it. Guess it was some of the CEO stuff that got misplaced.”

“Must have been recent, if you remember it so clearly.”

“Oh, it was like one or two years back, but I’mma smart enough to recall some details when needed. No one likes to check up the digital inventory even though I work hard to maintain it.”

“You go all the way back to the main lab to your office?” Mikisugi is surprised. That is a certainly a distance to cover especially when you are in a hurry.

“Nah, I shifted my computer to this tiny room near the depo. It ain’t much, but at least I can work peacefully over there without anyone constantly hounding me to do this or get that, yada, yada” Oliver gestures animatedly with his hands as he tries to convey the sentiment. It is funny, and Mikisugi smiles.

“Well then, can I meet you tomorrow near your office? I’m asking because─” he lowers his head to whisper in Oliver’s ear, “─ I too feel the same regarding the higher ups.”

Oliver grins. “You got it.”

*

Inumuta adjusts his glasses as he waits patiently on the couch for Satsuki to come. He is currently in her house, having arrived at the time they had decided upon. Of course, he would never even think of being late─ Satsuki dislikes tardiness. But more than that, he is excited, not that he would admit it. He hasn’t seen her in more than a year. A soft noise indicates the anticipated arrival of Satsuki. She looks good in casual clothes, he thinks to himself (not that it really matters, he has seen her naked as well).

She’s carrying two filled teacups in her hands and a long case is slung diagonally across her torso. He stands up and offers a short bow.

“It’s alright, Inumuta. Please, sit down” she says as she hands him one of the teacups and removes the case from her shoulders. “It must have been hard for you to come here so suddenly.”

“I’m but at your disposal, my Lady.”

“I know that I do ask a lot of favours from you, Inumuta. You must be already busy with the task of monitoring REVOCS and assisting Mikisugi.”

He sips his tea quietly and proceeds to answer, “REVOCS, Japan, is laying off their old employees in two months. No one wants trouble from the government.”

She hums in response but does not otherwise say anything. He waits for Satsuki to continue the conversation. She is sitting there, drinking her tea like usual (legs crossed, eyes closed, breath steady). There is a slight swelling at her right temple, most certainly the injury that Iori had informed him about. Satsuki seems to handle it well enough though, so it must not have been that serious, he presumes.

But there is not a trace of the person that he is so curious about. The infamous Matoi Ryuuko, or as she goes by now─ “Imaishi Kiyoko”. Then again, he came late in the afternoon─ she must be working. Satsuki must have finished classes early, he muses.

“Here” she takes out Bakuzan Kouryu. “I hope this would be enough.” She unsheathes it with all of her Kiryuuin grace to display the streak of dry blood crusted on its polished edge.

“Of course, I’ll arrange for the forensics at the earliest.” He stuffs the blade in a custom case that he has brought over. But he does not want the conversation to end, not without satisfying his curiosity first.

“My lady, might I ask where─”

“Ryuuko is?”

He nods. He is surprised that Satsuki did not use her full name or even last name to indicate her. The first name basis is a strange anomaly─ after all she still calls all of her oldest friends by their last names. But that’s all they are, her friends, not her family.

“She’s at the lab. She is spending more time over there since the last day,” she pauses, gazing thoughtfully into her teacup. “And even if she was here, I don’t think she would be very inclined to meet you.”

“Personally, I think that Jakuzure scared her off” he pushes up his glasses with his little finger. “But knowing Matoi, that is useless.”

“What?”

“You did not talk to her?”

“Not yet─ currently a little busy with the tests. Ryuuko’s been avoiding me since that day; I think you are right with your hypothesis.” She places her cup down, her tea finished.

“But Matoi─”

“Is not the same as before. She is a different person now. She lives with me, after all.”

He does not know what to say. Matoi had always managed to surprise him at the last moment, but not all surprises were good. Not for her, and definitely not for them. But she was a good kid, even if her actions were reckless. He wonders how much she has changed─ he would have liked to collect some data on her new persona.

“Then you’ll need to approach this one on your own, I’m afraid. I don’t have the necessary data to aid you in your efforts.”

“Then I just have to follow my intuitions, don’t you think?”

He blinks as realisation hits him. Lady Satsuki has changed too. There is an element of softness now, blending into the edges of her stern personality─ a different take on handling things. Guess Matoi’s propensity of being a catalyst for change still affects people, he thinks.

“Yes, my Lady.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally suck at writing non-formal english, so please take some of the speech sections with a grain of salt.  
> Thanks for reading!


	13. Warning Sign: Part 1

Ryuuko wakes up to not feeling a hundred percent right. She’s still wearing Junketsu─ he’s a little wrinkled from being slept on. But that does not seem to be the issue. She checks herself over the mirror and finds out only the obvious─ her bedhead and the crust in her eyes. Also, the cut on her neck has fully healed and the pain in her right elbow has vanished. Then why is there a lingering feeling of unease in her mind? She decides not to dwell on it further─ maybe she’ll know when the time comes. Speaking of time, she notices she has woken up later than usual but her sleep had been rather satisfactory so she doesn’t fret over the lost time. When she reaches downstairs, all freshened up and ready to cook breakfast, Satsuki is still there, to her surprise.

“Good morning, Ryuuko” she says, packing her bag. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah. You are still here?” Ryuuko takes a seat at the dining table, a few feet away from the couch where Satsuki was getting ready for her university. She moves towards the kitchen soon, for what Ryuuko assumes to be grabbing her lunch.

“The test’s timings are a bit different today” Satsuki explains. She strides back to Ryuuko, a teacup poised gracefully in her hands and places it in front of her.

“I made breakfast already. You should have it before it gets cold.”

The prospect of food makes her happy but more than that she’s happy that Satsuki still cares. It’s a simple gesture really, but her efforts to avoid Satsuki had taken a toll her─ making this considerate action downright special.

“Thanks. And all the best for your exams, Kiryuuin.”

But Satsuki’s eyebrows pull into a slight ‘V’ as if displeased with her well wishes. She blinks, and the frown vanishes. Ryuuko thinks maybe she should apologize but she is not sure which one of her words was offensive.

“Ryuuko, we should talk.”

“Now?”

“Later. After you return from the lab.”

“Alright.”

And just like that, Ryuuko pinpoints the source of her unease─ the dreaded confrontation with Satsuki. She would have liked to avoid it, but letting the issue fester would only make her unease grow. Her musing is interrupted when Satsuki pats her softly on her shoulder.

“Take care, Ryuuko.”

And with those simple words, she leaves. Ryuuko swears she can feel the ghost of her touch still lingering on her shoulder. No, she mustn’t lose focus. Her work is progressing, albeit at a slow rate but she must do more.

She has been working on how to reactivate Senketsu’s _banshi_ but has not quite managed to achieve it yet. If she is able to do so, then she can conduct the same experiment on Junketsu’s spliced _banshi_ as well. That might activate his full potential and maybe he would get his memories back─ and hopefully with his help she would regain hers as well.

The doctors had always said to her that her brain took a heavy damage in an accident and her memories were lost. She had suffered several critical injuries as well and to save her they had to perform hybridization. The surgery had been a success and she had recovered nicely, all except for her memories.

It had always pricked at her subconsciousness. Why did the fibres fail to restore her brain? Surely, it didn’t undergo that big a damage compared to her body; after all, even the most fatal of injuries were healed over in a very short span of time. She had observed the recovery herself and unless she was actively suppressing her fibres from closing the wounds, it would be restored within a few hours.

Her observation supported her hypothesis─ that something was actively blocking her from accessing her memories. And she had worked a whole year in solitude to uncover what it was─ but there was only so much a lone girl could accomplish in a field that barely existed. The shutdown of the life fiber plant was promptly followed by the expelling of the researchers at the lab, leaving Ryuuko with only more questions than before, with no way to find their answers. That is, until Paul had let her know that there was still a chance for her to carry on her research.

Throughout this whole get-go, Junketsu had been with her. He too was a victim of the same accident that had cost Ryuuko her memories. His _banshi_ had been damaged and it was no longer viable. No one else could hear him except her, but that might have been because his replacement nexus thread was spliced with her DNA. But the replaced _banshi_ did not restore his memories, so he too was stuck in the same predicament as her.

The similarities in their situation had caused them to stick by each other, unlikely friendship blooming with their passing interactions. But they knew, as long as there was a negative stigma attached with life fibres, they could never be open with their friendship. If anyone ever found out that Junketsu was sentient and active, they would take him away or worse, neutralize him.

Sometimes she wonders if she can introduce him to Satsuki. She seems like a reasonable person, after all she does own two of the few operating life fiber labs. So maybe she would not be opposed to making friends with him. Perhaps that would remove his misconceptions regarding her. Ryuuko wonders if it is possible for her to get a license to ‘own’ Junketsu legally, but given REVOCS’ past history that seems like an unlikely probability.

But she could think about that later. For now, she would take things one step at a time─ and focus on her work. Even if things do not play out well with Satsuki, she could still complete her research, she tries to convince herself.

But there’s a part of her that does not believe it. That clings on to the fragile hope that they could still be good friends despite their misgivings. There’s a conflict in her mind─ and she cannot resolve it, not without Satsuki.

Her eyes gaze upon the time in her mobile. It was a bit of a late start for her today─ the resolution to her conflict would have to wait.

She leaves Junketsu in the house that day.

*

The phone rings for the seventh time before he picks it up. He had half a mind to not answer it but seeing the caller ID made him think otherwise.

“Hello, Tsumugu here. What do you need?”

“That was more polite than expected. I was thinking you might not pick up at all,” Inumuta’s voice is as smug as ever.

“If you don’t stop wasting my time, then you’ll find the same conclusion regardless.”

“I have a feeling Mr. Mikisugi might be in a pinch. I need you to run some interference. I have already booked your flight to REVOCS, France. The─”

“You what?”

“Yes. It’s tomorrow evening. Look I’ll save your time─ I’ve already emailed you the details. Be very careful to follow them, otherwise things can take a turn for the worse.”

“That serious, huh? Alright then” Tsumugu concedes. He thinks he should have seen this coming. Mikisugi was never that good at maintaining his cover.

“Keep me updated. I’ll talk to you later” Inumuta hangs up.

Tsumugu sighs. There is a lot of packing to do.

*

_Ryuuko._

“Senketsu?”

_Life fiber synchronize!_

Ryuuko notes down whatever she thinks his nexus thread is trying to convey to her. Broken phrases, disjointed words─ it didn’t matter to her. Most of the time only her name was uttered─ as in ‘Ryuuko’, not ‘Kiyoko’. That can only mean that the person ‘Ryuuko’ was somehow connected to Senketsu. But then, Junketsu calls her by the same name. Is she really Ryuuko?

No, that can’t be. Satsuki only told she resembles someone like Ryuuko. The bright red fibre glows faintly, breaking her train of thoughts.

“Calm down there” Ryuuko says, slightly amused. “Looks like at least someone is happy to see me.”

_It’s been a long time._

“We just saw each other yesterday,” she carries on the conversation. Senketsu only ever talks when it is just the two of them. And that doesn’t happen too often.

_Will I ever be whole again?_

And Ryuuko hesitates before answering. “I don’t know” she says quietly as she waits for a response. But there is none and she thinks whether she’ll ever have the answer to his question.

“Senketsu, you knew Satsuki, right?”

The thread floats silently but Ryuuko is not deterred. “I messed up with her. Her friends hate me. I don’t want her to hate me too.”

_The scissor blade is yours._

“What do you mean?”

But his _banshi_ has stopped glowing. Ryuuko sighs─ so much for making some sense. But still, he is decent company. Actually, that just gives her an idea. She grins. There is a feeling that her next method might just work.

She heads home early that day, and of course Satsuki isn’t back yet. She heaves a sigh of relief but she knows she would have to talk to her eventually. But there’s still some time to kill, so she decides to hit up the dojo once again.

“Kote!” A cry rings out through the dojo, startling her. She rushes over, thinking someone might have gotten injured. But a different scene greets her instead.

There’s a man at the kendo ring wearing a white gi paired with a white hakama. His neck length hair is black with a greenish tint and he seems to be constantly uttering ‘Men! Dou! Kote!” as he locked bamboo swords with Satsuki. The Kiryuuin simply sidesteps his next attack with grace and lowers her own sword.

“Damn! You got me again!” he mutters. Ryuuko is confused at first but then notices carefully─ his leg is outside the ring, leading to his loss.

“Kiryuuin?”

“Ryuuko. This is the friend I was talking about. Meet Sanageyama Uzu.”

“Imaishi Kiyoko. I kind of thought he would be older, you know.”

“Oh? Care to fight this young man then?” Uzu smirks.

“Um, I don’t…” she raises her hands in a weak protest.

“Come on! I want to know the person who beat Lady Satsuki,” he insists.

“That was an accident.”

“That is why you’ll be restricted to bamboo swords only” Satsuki cuts in smoothly, overriding Ryuuko’s hesitation.

“But still, what if someone gets hurt?” Ryuuko all but blurts out, her fears portrayed plainly. Wide eyes stare at Satsuki, pleading her to not to involve Ryuuko in this. Again. Satsuki only smiles in reassurance in return and pats her head gently. Ryuuko has to stop herself from seeking that soft touch when it withdraws.

“It’ll be okay, Ryuuko. I am still here, am I not?”

She sighs in reluctant agreement, unable to counter all the fuzzy emotions that compelled her to listen to Satsuki. Uzu tosses out an extra sword to her and she soon gets in position.

Satsuki takes it upon herself to be the referee.

“Begin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe everyone. Thanks for reading!


	14. Warning Sign: Part 2

Ryuuko stays defensive this time, choosing to block. Uzu zooms in straight and fast, his swing swift. “Men!”

She parries the simple attack effortlessly. “Dou! Kote!” His strength spikes in his subsequent strikes catching her off guard.

Ryuuko quickly understands that his technique is simple but he has an uncanny ability to see through multiple openings all at once. And exploit them to his advantage as well. Yeah, he certainly fights well, she thinks, but he lacks Satsuki’s skill and technique who can even use the opponents’ strikes to her advantage. But that didn’t mean she is having an easy time either. So she decides to switch gears to offensive.

She counters all of his hits and manages to land a blow that leaves him wide open for a second. She grins as she rushes in with her blinding speed, ready to give him a taste of his own medicine. But, the results of her last similar attack springs forth in her mind as she sees the same look in his eyes─ just like Satsuki’s─ wide with grim realisation.

It is not too late this time. She can still stop this from turning into a mess. So, she lets go of the opportunity and strikes him near the hips instead.

“Ow!” he shrieks.

“That hurt? I thought you could use some smacking” Ryuuko grins smugly to cover up the fact that she just knowingly gave up her ticket to victory.

“Rrr…I’ll show you! Men! Dou! Kote!” his attacks gain speed instantly and Ryuuko barely manages to parry them. She knows she’s holding back too much but she is afraid of what might happen is she starts fighting using her raw strength. Her stance weakens and Uzu manages to get a hit in.

“Men! Dou! Kote!” All of his strikes land and the points of impact feel like concentrated epicentres of pain. He sees her defense crumbling like a collapsing riverbank and ramps up the intensity of his attacks. This is it─ he is going to do it; he’s finally going to beat Ryuuko.

A straight hit to her wrist has her hissing as she recoils in pain. Seizing the opportunity, Uzu thrusts his sword straight towards her chest. She lets out a painful shout as the sword drops from her hands and she falls down to her knees, arms coming up instantly to clutch at her gi where she was hit.

“Ryuuko!” Satsuki rushes in to help, but Ryuuko raises one of her hands weakly to signal her to stop and focuses on breathing properly.

“Are you alright?” Uzu asks, somewhat pensive. He had seen her tanking blows far bigger than this─ the fact that she is hurt is only further proof that the Ryuuko they knew, is gone. But he’ll take what he has got and remember to take this only as a victory over a new opponent─ Imaishi Kiyoko.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Give me a second” Ryuuko says between deep breaths. “It was a good match, Sanageyama” she stands up finally as she extends her hand for a shake. He smiles as he shakes her hand in a firm grip.

“Victor─ Sanageyama!” Satsuki declares.

*

The cameras swing periodically so there’s a blind spot of a few seconds─ four to be exact. His visit wasn’t for nothing; he had scouted out the security system and managed to transfer a lot of data using Oliver’s computer. He was impressed─ that Inumuta kid did really know his stuff. However, access to the Records’ Room was a tricky case─ it is was only accessible by a select few employees. So he had requested assistance from Houka and sure enough the guy handed him one of those limited employee account credentials. Nothing less to be expected from one of Lady Satsuki’s elites, he thinks.

The camera looks the other way and he deftly swipes the card to open the door. It works and he enters the room noiselessly as the door shuts close. The room has automated cameras and lights that activated when someone comes in, triggered by motion sensors. But he had already disabled them for a few minutes. Tinkering with DTRs has equipped him with such knowledge.

So no lights, no cameras, only action.

Houka had already informed him which cabinets to look for and he gets to work immediately. The missing files from the database─ there were two in the last two years. He comes upon his target and shuffles through the files. Finally, he gets what he was looking for. He opens it to see through its contents and bingo─ he has hit the jackpot. Quickly rifling through the rest of the files, he manages to find out the other one.

There is something familiar about the files─ he feels like he has seen them before somewhere else too, but he cannot quite put a finger on it. Well, that will have to wait anyway as Mikisugi quickly replaces them with some dummy sheaves of paper and stuffs the original ones in the inside pockets of his coat. There are only a few seconds left before the sensors go back online but he has got what he needed. Slinking out at the perfect time, he heaves a sigh of relief.

“Hey! Mr. Kuroido! Good afternoon─ almost didn’t see ya there!” Oliver’s sudden shouts scare the daylights out of him but he regains his composure in a moment.

“Hey, Oliver. I was looking for you actually─ but couldn’t find you.”

“Sorry, my bad. I was clearing up some checklists with the supervisor beforehand since he had a meeting with the boss today,” he clarifies. “What did ya need me for?”

“I needed to speak up with your dad, but I had no idea where his posting is. He was a life fiber researcher, right? Also, I needed to clarify some CEO stuff.”

“About life fibers? Hmm, he works in management in the Mr. Rossi’s separate office.”

“Directly under Mr. Rossi? That will help a lot. Well, I’ll be off now. Thanks, kid. See you later” he waves him off as he makes his way out of there.

And sorry too, he thinks, for using you.

*

Tsumugu looks himself up in the bathroom mirror. A year and a half has changed him as well. He is still clean shaven, though he has grown out of his mohawk haircut and now sports a more evenly cropped hairstyle. The dim sound of the airport announcement breaks his train of thought. He exits the bathroom and wastes no time in locating his luggage from the conveyor belt. The bag slung over his shoulder he makes his way out of the airport.

France sure is beautiful, he thinks, but there will be plenty of time for sightseeing later. For now, he has a mission to do. Keeping that in mind, he hails a cab and disappears into the myriad city lights lighting up the roads.

*

Mikisugi thumbs through the pages, speedreading the content of each one in a few seconds. There is a lot of data in the files that he had secured. It does not take him long to find out th exact information that they had been looking for.

The life fiber clones.

The report is detailed and he slows down to process the information. He is a life fiber scientist but the research was so advanced that he had to commit more time to understand it fully.

Apparently, the experiments were carried out twice. The first generation of clones was an attempt to create a hybrid, just like Ryuuko, since they had the physical and mental prowess that far outclassed any human. And the DNA they chose to clone was Ryuuko’s and Junketsu’s.

But the clone was deemed unstable after it was deployed in the field for a mission. A cloned human body was too weak to sustain life fibres─ the cells of such a being tended to disintegrate after a few hours─ and the specimen was reported deceased and its mission a failure.

He sees the date of the report and it doesn’t take him much long to realize that the Ryuuko that Satsuki had fought with on the ship was nothing but a clone. Then what about Kiyoko? Is this one a clone too? Is the real Ryuuko even alive anymore?

Aikuro hurries over to the next part for more answers─ the one that documented the second generation of life fiber clones. A human body was discarded for these specimens and instead the life fibers were coded to take the form of specific individuals─ the elite four and their leader, Satsuki. However, that led to lesser physical strength of the clones, although they were more stable than the first generation. Well, he thinks, that explains how the elite four were able to defeat them even without ultima uniforms. He remembers the fight clearly─ the clones were destroyed and there was no residue left behind.

That is well and good but it still did not explain the disappearance of Ryuuko. And there’s only one more page remaining. It’s not even a report─ it is just a compilation of items needed for the undertaking for what seemed to be the next project. He reads through it regardless expecting nothing, but one of the items stand out to him. There is only an index number to the item─ but he recognizes it to be the order number of the item that Oliver had flagged in his inventory records. The one that his father had personally delivered to Paul Rossi’s office.

There is nothing more to the report─ or maybe it’s just missing. Project reports don’t just vanish into thin air, he muses. Suddenly, it hits him why the file had seemed all too familiar to him─ he had seen them in the standalone building where he had gone to meet Paul in his private office. That employee who had guided him was carrying a similar folder. His best bet would be to assume that Paul has the file. It is late in the night, so he decides to continue his investigation the next day. For now, he will focus on reporting the recent developments to Inumuta.

*

Ryuuko is uncharacteristically quiet on their way back home. Satsuki isn’t much of a conversation starter either and even less of a person to indulge in idle chats to fill the silence. She wonders if the recent loss in the kendo match was bringing her mood down or she was still trying to avoid her. Maybe she should look into the matter after all.

“What are you thinking about? Is it about the match with Sanageyama?” she prods.

“Kind of, but not really. I was thinking about the swords. The bamboo ones don’t really have the heft of the scissor blade. The material is too different─ hey, can I have another look at it?”

Satsuki raises an eyebrow but does not refuse her request. “Yes. Wait here, I’ll also make some tea for us.”

“Sure,” Ryuuko replies as she takes a seat in the couch.

Shortly thereafter, Satsuki returns with the case containing the scissor blade and places it upon the centre table. “Here you go. The tea must be ready by now─ I shall bring it over as well.”

She walks over to the kitchen and ponders whether it would be wise to leave Ryuuko all alone by herself with the red blade. But a dull thud rips her attention away from the tea she is pouring to the living room.

“Satsuki!”

The distressed cry of Ryuuko has her protective instincts flaring up in an instant, and she immediately runs over to her. Ryuuko is lying on her back on the ground, her left hand gripping the handle of the scissor blade and her right hand clutching tightly at her top near her chest.

“Ryuuko!”


End file.
